n  f 


L5BRARY 

University   of   California 

IRVINE. 


NEDRA 


OTHER    BOOKS    BY 
MR.  McCUTCHEON 


BEVERLY  OF  GRAUSTARK 

THE  DAY  OF  THE  DOG 

THE  PURPLE  PARASOL 

THE  SHERRODS 

GRAUSTARK 
CASTLE  CRANEYCROW 
BREWSTER'S  MILLIONS 


L,AT)Y  TKNNYS 


NEDRA 


BY 


GEORGE   BARR   McCUTCHEON 

Author   of 

"Beverly  of    Oraustark," 
"Brewster's  Millions,"  etc. 


ILLUSTRATIONS    BY 

HARRISON    FISHER 


NEW    YORK 

DODD,  MEAD  &    COMPANY 
1905 


PS 
3635 


COPYRIGHT,  1905 
BY  DODD,  MEAD  AND  COMPANY 

Publithtd  September,  1905 


CONTENTS 

Chapter  Page 

I  The  Inspiration :.  11 

II  The  Beginning  of  Flight.      ...  29 

III  The  First  Obstacle 48 

IV  Ready  for  the  Sea 61 

V  Mr.  and  Miss  Ridge  Sail  for  Manila  .  71 

VI  Henry  Veath 83 

VII  Glum  Days  for  Mr.  Ridge      ...  93 

VIII  The  Beautiful  Stranger   ....  101 

IX  Mr.  Ridegway's  Amazement  .      .      .  108 

X  A  Sharp  Encounter 116 

XI  Discovered 132 

XII  The  Harlequin's  Errand  ....  142 

XIII  The  Confession  of  Veath  ....  149 

XIV  One  Love  against  Another      .       .       .  158 

XV  The  Wreck  of  the  Tempest  Queen   .  166 

XVI  The  Night  and  the  Morning.      .      .  173 

XVII  Was  the  Sea  Kind  ? 178 

XVIII  The  Wonderful  Land.  186 


ri  CONTENTS 

Chapter  Page 

XIX  The  First  Day  in  the  Wilds  .      .      195 

XX  The  Sign  of  Distress  ....      204 

XXI  Gods  from  the  Sea     ....      210 

XXII  Flesh  Succeeds  Stone.      .      .      . 

XXIII  The  Transformation  Begins  .      . 

XXIV  Nedra 

XXV  The  Coming  of  the  Enemy      .      . 

XXVI  On  the  Eve  of  Battle     .      .      . 

XXVII  The  Lady  Tennys  Reserves  .  . 

XXVIII  To  the  Victor  Belongs—?  .  . 

XXIX  The  Other  Surrender.  ... 

XXX  Where  There  is  No  Minister.  . 

XXXI  The  Wedding  Ring  .... 

XXXII  The  Cruiser  Winnetka  ... 

XXXIII  Apparitions 

XXXIV  The  Course  of  True  Love.  .  . 

XXXV  History  Repeats  Itself      ... 


ILLUSTRATIONS 

Lady  Tennys     .......    Frontispiece 

Facing 
page 

Grace  Vernon      .........        90 

"  'Lady  Tennys.  .    .    .  You  do  not  know  how  I 

thank  God  you  are  alive'  "...      .130 


'Hey,  there  !'  he  yelled.     'How  are  you?'  ". 
'They  have  killed  you  !  Let  them  kill  me  !'  "  .     280 


NEDRA 


NEDRA 

CHAPTER  I 
THE  INSPIRATION 

A  TALL  young  man  sped  swiftly  up  the  wide  stone 
steps  leading  to  the  doorway  of  a  mansion  in  one 
of  Chicago's  most  fashionable  avenues.  After  push 
ing  the  button  sharply  he  jerked  out  his  watch  and 
guessed  at  the  time  by  the  dull  red  light  from  the 
panel  in  the  door.  Then  he  hastily  brushed  from  the 
sleeve  of  his  coat  the  telltale  billiard  chalk,  whose  pres 
ence  reminded  him  that  a  general  survey  might  be  a 
wise  precaution.  He  was  rubbing  a  white  streak  from 
his  trousers'  leg  when  the  door  flew  open  and  the 
butler  admitted  him  to  the  hallway.  This  personage 
relieved  him  of  his  hat,  coat  and  stick  and  announced : 

"Miss  Vernon  is  w'itin'  for  you,  sir." 

"How  the  devil  did  I  happen  to  let  eight  o'clock 
strike  nine  before  I  knew  it?"  muttered  the  visitor. 
He  was  at  the  drawing-room  door  as  he  concluded 
this  self-addressed  reproach,  extending  both  hands 
toward  the  young  woman  who  came  from  the  fireplace 
to  meet  him. 


12  NEDRA 

"How  late  you  are,  Hugh,"  she  cried,  half  resent 
fully.  He  bent  forward  and  kissed  her. 

"Late?  It  isn't  late,  dear.  I  said  I  couldn't  come 
before  eight,  didn't  I?  Well,  it's  eight,  isn't  it?" 

"It's  nearly  seventy  minutes  past  eight,  sir.  I've 
been  waiting  and  watching  the  hands  on  the  clock 
for  just  sixty  minutes." 

"I  never  saw  such  a  perfect  crank  about  keeping 
time  as  that  grandfatherly  clock  of  yours.  It  hasn't 
skipped  a  second  in  two  centuries,  I'll  swear.  You 
see,  I  was  playing  off  the  odd  game  with  Tom  Dit- 
ton." 

He  dropped  lazily  into  a  big  arm-chair,  drove  his 
hands  into  his  pockets  and  stretched  out  his  long 
legs  toward  the  grate. 

"You  might  have  come  at  eight,  Hugh,  on  this 
night  if  no  other.  You  knew  what  important  things 
we  have  to  consider."  Miss  Vernon,  tall  and  grace 
ful,  stood  before  him  with  her  back  to  the  fire.  She 
was  exceedingly  pretty,  this  girl  whom  Hugh  had 
kissed. 

"I'm  awfully  sorry,  Grace ;  but  you  know  how  it 
is  when  a  fellow  's  in  a  close,  hard  game — especially 
with  a  blow-hard  like  Tom  Ditton." 

"If  I  forgive  you  again,  I'm  afraid  you'll  prove 
a  begging  husband." 

"Never!  Deliver  me  from  a  begging  husband.  I 
shall  assert  all  kinds  of  authority  in  my  house,  Miss 
Vernon,  and  you'll  be  in  a  constant  state  of  beggary 
yourself.  You'll  have  to  beg  me  to  get  up  in  the 


THE    INSPIRATION  13 

morning,  beg  me  to  come  home  early  every  night, 
beg  me  to  swear  off  divers  things,  beg  me  to  go  to 
church,  beg  me  to  buy  new  hats  for  you,  beg  me  to  eat 
things  you  cook,  beg  me  to 

"I  suppose  I  shall  even  have  to  beg  you  to  kiss  me," 
she  cried. 

"Not  at  all.  That  is  one  thing  I'll  beg  of  you. 
Lean  over  here,  do,  and  kiss  me,  please,"  he  said  in 
vitingly. 

She  placed  a  hand  on  each  arm  of  the  chair  and 
leaned  forward  obediently.  Their  lips  met  in  a  smile. 

"You  lazy  thing!  she  exclaimed,  her  face  slightly 
flushed.  Then  she  seated  herself  on  one  of  the  big 
arms,  resting  her  elbow  on  the  back  of  the  chair  beside 
his  head.  For  a  few  minutes  both  were  silent,  gazing 
at  the  bright  coals  before  them,  the  smile  remaining 
upon  their  lips.  Hugh  had  been  squinting  between 
the  toes  of  his  shoes  at  a  lonely  black  chunk  in  the 
grate  for  some  time  before  he  finally  spoke  reflec 
tively. 

"I  can't  afford  to  be  lazy  much  longer,  can  I? 
Married  men  never  have  a  minute's  rest,  you  know." 

"We're  not  married." 

"No;  but  we're  going  to  be,  let  me  remind  you. 
We  are  to — to  announce  it  to-morrow  night,  are  we 
not?  It  has  come  to  that,  you  see."  He  did  not  look 
very  cheerful,  nor  did  she. 

"Yes,  I  suppose  it's  imperative.  That  is  why  aunt 
is  giving  her  reception, — just  to  tell  everybody  we're 
engaged." 


14  NEDRA 

"And  then  everybody  will  shake  hands  with  us  and 
say,  'Congratulations,'  'How  lovely,'  'So  surprised,' 
'Howdy  do,'  and  so  forth,  and  we  say  'Thanks,'  'How 
good  of  you,'  and  more  so  forth.  It  will  be  great !" 
Another  silence  and  inspection  of  the  fire,  he  taking 
an  altered  aim  at  the  black  chunk.  "Say!"  he  ex 
claimed,  "wouldn't  it  do  just  as  well  if  I  didn't  put 
in  an  appearance  to-morrow  night?  Your  aunt  can 
announce  the  thing,  as  agreed,  and  you  can  tell  'em 
that  I  have  a  sick  uncle  in  Indianapolis,  or  have  had 
my  leg  broken,  or  something  like  that.  Now,  there's 
a  good  girl." 

"No,"  she  said.  "We  fell  in  love  because  we  couldn't 
help  it,  and  this  is  the  penalty — an  announcement 
party." 

"I'll  never  quite  understand  why  you  fell,"  said  he 
dubiously. 

"I  think  we  were  both  too  young  to  know,"  she  re 
sponded.  "It  seems  to  me  that  we've  been  in  love 
ever  since  we  were  babies." 

"And  it  never  hurts  a  baby  to  fall,  you  know,"  said 
he,  nith  fine  logic.  "Of  course  it  may  cripple  'em 
permanently,  but  they  don't  know  how  it  happened." 

For  some  moments  she  caressed  his  brown  hair  in 
silence,  the  smile  lingering  on  her  lips  after  it  had 
left  her  eyes.  His  eyes  closed  dreamily  under  the 
gentle  touch  of  her  fingers.  "But,  dear,"  she  said, 
"this  is  no  joking  matter.  We  have  been  engaged  for 
nearly  three  months  and  not  a  soul  knows  of  it.  We'll 
have  to  tell  them  how  we  managed  to  keep  it  a  secret 


THE    INSPIRATION  15 

for  so  long,  and  why, — and  all  that.  And  then  every 
body  will  want  to  know  who  the  bridesmaids  are  to 
be." 

"I  believe  I'd  like  to  know  that  myself,  as  long  as 
I'm  to  walk  out  of  the  church  ahead  of  them — pro 
vided  I  don't  get  lost." 

"Helen  Grossman  is  to  be  the  maid  of  honor.  I 
believe  I'll  ask  Jean  Robertson,  Eloise  Grant,  Harriet 
Noble,  Mayme  McMurtrie,  Ellen  Boyland " 

"Are  we  to  have  no  guests?" 

" and  Effa  Samuels.  Won't  it  be  a  pretty  set 

of  girls?" 

"Couldn't  be  prettier." 

"And  now,  who  is  to  be  your  best  man?" 

"Well,  I  thought  I'd  have  Tom  Ditton,"  a  trifle 
confusedly. 

"Tom  Ditton!  I  thought  you  did  not  approve  of 
him,"  she  cried.  "You  certainly  did  not  when  he 
came  to  see  me  so  frequently." 

"Oh,  he  isn't  such  a  bad  sort,  after  all.  I'd  just  as 
soon  have  him  as  any  one.  Besides,  he's  an  expert 
at  it.  If  it  was  left  to  me,  I'd  much  rather  sit  be 
hind  the  pulpit  until  it  is  all  over.  People  won't  miss 
me  while  they've  got  you  to  look  at." 

"We  could  be  married  so  quietly  and  prettily  if  it 
were  not  for  Aunt  Elizabeth,"  pouted  Miss  Vernon. 
"She  insists  on  the  church  wedding,  the  teas  and  re 
ceptions  and — 

"All  that  sort  of  rot,"  he  interjected,  as  if  fearing 
she  might  not  express  herself  adequately.  "I  like 


16  NEDRA 

your  Aunt  Elizabeth,  Grace,  but  she's — she's  an 
awful " 

"Don't  say  it,  Hugh.  I  know  what  you  mean,  but 
she  can't  help  it.  She  lives  for  society.  She's  per 
fectly  crazy  on  the  subject.  Aunt  Elizabeth  made 
up  her  mind  we  should  be  married  in  church.  I  have 
talked  myself  black  in  the  face — for  your  sake,  dear 
— but  it  was  like  trying  to  convert  a  stone  wall.  She 
is  determined.  You  know  what  that  means." 

"No  wonder  she's  a  widow,"  growled  Hugh  Ridge- 
way  sourly.  "Your  father  served  you  a  mighty  mean 
trick,  dear,  when  he  gave  you  over  to  her  training. 
She  might  have  spoiled  you  beyond  redemption." 

"Poor  father!  He  loathed  display,  too.  I've  no 
doubt  that  is  why  he  left  me  in  her  care  until  I  reached 
the  age  of  discretion.  She  was  not  always  like  this. 
Father's  money  has  wrought  the  change.  Aunty  was 
as  poor  as  a  church  mouse  until  father's  death  put 
her  at  the  head  of  my  household — it  was  mine,  Hugh, 
even  if  I  was  only  six  years  old.  You  know  we  could 
live  pretty  well  on  forty  thousand  a  year." 

"You'll  have  a  million  or  so  when  you're  twenty- 
three,  dear,  and  I'll  venture  to  say  your  aunt  has 
saved  something  in  all  these  years." 

"Oh,  she  had  at  least  two  hundred  thousand  dollars 
by  the  will.  It  has  cost  her  nothing  to  live  all  these 
years  as  my  guardian  and  trustee.  We  just  had  to 
do  something  with  my  income,  you  know." 

"I  don't  see  why  you  should  let  this  fortune  stand 
in  the  way,  Grace,"  growled  he.  "Haven't  I  enough 


THE    INSPIRATION  17 

of  my  own  to  take  its  place?"  Hugh  Ridgeway  had 
a  million  in  his  own  right  and  he  could  well  afford 
to  be  unreasonable.  "The  will  says  you  are  not  to 
have  your  father's  money  until  you  are  twenty-three 
years  old.  He  evidently  thought  that  was  a  discreet 
age.  You  are  not  to  marry  before  you  have  reached 
that  age.  I've  been  waiting  for  two  years,  Grace, 
and  there  still  remains  two  months — 

"One  month  and  twenty-eight  days,  Hugh,"  she 
corrected. 

"And  in  the  meantime  we  have  to  stay  here  and  face 
all  this  ante-nuptial  wretchedness.  It's  sickening, 
Grace.  We  hate  it,  both  of  us.  Don't  we?  I  knew 
you'd  nod  your  head.  That's  why  I  can't  help  loving 
you.  You've  got  so  much  real  good  hard  sense  about 
things.  If  your  confounded  Aunt  Lizzie — Elizabeth, 
I  should  say — would  let  us  get  married  as  we  want — 
Hang  it  all,  Grace,  it's  our  affair  anyhow,  isn't  it? 
Why  should  we  permit  her  to  dictate?  It's  not  her 
wedding.  She's  been  married  twice;  why  can't  she 
let  well  enough  alone?" 

"She  loves  me,  Hugh,  after  all,"  gently. 

"Well,  so  do  I.  I'm  willing — not  perfectly  willing, 
of  course — but  reasonably  so,  that  we  should  wait 
until  the  twenty-third  of  May,  but  I  don't  see  why  we 
should  have  the  whole  town  waiting  with  us.  Why 
don't  you  assert  yourself,  dear,  before  it  is  too 
late?  Once  she  pulls  off  this  announcement 
party,  it's  all  off  with  peace  of  mind  and  con 
tentment  so  far  as  we  are  concerned.  Of  course,  she'll 


18  NEDRA 

be  enjoying  it,  but  what  of  us?  Are  you  afraid 
of  her?" 

"Don't  bully  me,  Hugh,"  she  pleaded.  He  was 
contrite  at  once  and  properly  so.  "She  has  lived  for 
this  time  in  her  life.  She  never  has  been  crossed.  I 
can't — honestly  I  can't  go  to  her  now  and — quarrel. 
That's  what  it  would  mean — a  quarrel.  She  would 
never  give  in." 

"Well,  then,  all  hope  is  lost,"  he  lamented.  For  some 
minutes  Miss  Vernon  gave  no  response,  sitting  upon 
the  arm  of  the  chair,  a  perplexed  pucker  on  her  brow 
and  a  thoughtful  swing  to  her  slippered  foot. 

These  young  people  had  known  each  other  since 
earliest  childhood.  They  had  played  together  with 
the  same  neighborly  toys  and  they  had  grown  up 
together  with  the  same  neighborly  ideals.  Both  had 
whirled  in  the  social  swing  until  the  sensation  palled. 
The  most  exclusive  set  in  town  regarded  them  as 
among  its  most  popular  members.  It  was  quite  natu 
ral  that  their  wedding  should  be  the  most  brilliant  and 
fashionable  of  the  year.  Their  position  in  society 
demanded  the  sacrifice,  and  her  aunt  saw  the  urgent 
need  for  making  it,  notwithstanding  the  opposition 
of  the  young  people  themselves. 

Ridgeway  was  a  couple  of  years  older  than  his  af 
fianced  bride,  and  she  was  just  short  of  twenty-three. 
She,  an  orphan  since  early  childhood,  lived  with  her 
widowed  aunt — the  social  gourmand,  to  quote  Hugh 
Ridgeway — and  he  made  his  home  next  door  with 
his  sister  and  her  husband.  The  two  brown  stone 


THE    INSPIRATION  19 

houses  were  almost  within  arm's  reach  of  each  other. 
She  had  painted  dainty  water  colors  for  his  rooms 
and  he  had  thrown  thousands  of  roses  from  his  win 
dows  into  her  boudoir.  It  had  been  a  merry  court 
ship — the  courtship  of  modern  cavalier  and  lady  fair. 
Ridgeway's  parents  died  when  he  was  in  college,  and 
he  was  left  to  enlarge  or  despise  a  fortune  that  rated 
him  as  a  millionaire  and  the  best  catch  in  town — 
at  that  time. 

He  was  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Trade,  but  he 
was  scarcely  an  operator  in  the  strictest  sense  of  the 
word.  If  he  won  he  whistled,  if  he  lost  he  whistled. 
It  mattered  little.  Good  looking,  well  dressed,  gen 
erous  to  a  fault,  tainted  but  moderately  with  scandal, 
he  was  a  man  whom  everybody  admired,  but  who  ad 
mired  few  in  return — a  perfectly  natural  and  proper 
condition  if  one  but  stops  to  consider. 

Miss  Vernon  was  beautiful — of  that  there  was  no 
question.  Tall,  fair,  brown-eyed  and  full  of  the  life 
that  loves,  she  ruled  the  hearts  of  many  and — kept  her 
hand  for  one.  Her  short,  gay  life  had  been  one  of 
luxury  and  ease.  She  had  known  few  of  its  cares; 
its  vicissitudes  belonged  to  the  charities  she  sup 
ported  with  loyal  persistency.  Her  aunt,  society  mad, 
was  her  only  mentor,  her  only  guide.  'A  path  had 
been  made  for  her,  and  she  saw  no  other  alternative 
than  to  travel  it  as  designed.  A  careless,  buoyant 
heart,  full  of  love  and  tenderness  and  warmth,  allowed 
itself  to  be  tossed  by  all  of  the  emotions,  but  always 
sank  back  safely  into  the  path  of  duty  and  rectitude. 


20  NEDRA 

It  was  not  of  sufficient  moment  to  combat  her  aunt's 
stubborn  authority;  it  was  so  much  easier  to  do  her 
own  sweet  will  without  conflict  and  then  smile  down 
on  the  consequences. 

Possibly  it  is  true  that  she  did  not  love  her  aunt. 
If  that  were  the  case,  she  kept  it  well  to  herself.  She 
could  not  have  been  blamed,  however,  for  disliking 
the  dictator.  Hugh  Ridgeway  was  more  or  less  right 
when  he  said  that  no  one  in  town  admired  the  old 
lady.  She  was  hard,  devoid  of  humor,  wrapped  up 
in  her  own  selfishness ;  shrewd,  capable  and  resource 
ful.  Her  brother,  on  his  deathbed,  signed  the  in 
strument  which  made  this  arrogant  relative  the  ar 
biter  of  the  girl's  future  for  many  years  to  come. 
She  was  appointed  guardian  and  trustee  until  legal 
age  was  attained,  and  as  such  she  was  absolute  in 
her  power.  The  large  fortune  was  to  be  held  in  trust 
by  this  aunt,  Mrs.  Torrence,  and  the  Hon.  Stanley 
Goodland,  until  Grace  was  twenty-three  years  of  age. 
The  income  from  the  investments  in  bonds,  real  es 
tate  and  high-class  securities  was  to  be  handled  by 
Mrs.  Torrence  as  she  saw  fit  in  the  effort  to  better 
the  young  woman's  mental  and  social  estate.  To  do 
her  justice,  she  performed  the  duties  well  and  hon 
orably,  even  though  her  measure  of  human  nature 
was  not  full  to  overflowing.  Grace,  with  a  mind  and 
heart  of  her  own,  undertook  to  cultivate  human  nature 
from  her  own  point  of  view  after  years  of  tolerance, 
and  she  succeeded  so  well  that  her  aunt  was  none  the 
wiser. 


THE    INSPIRATION  21 

On  one  point,  however,  the  paragon  was  so  firm  and 
unassailable  that  Grace  was  obliged  to  confess  failure 
to  her  lover,  after  weeks  and  weeks  of  splendid  argu 
ment.  Her  aunt  forced  an  issue.  The  marriage  of 
her  niece  was  to  be  brilliant  to  the  verge  of  confusion 
and  the  ante-nuptial  season  was  to  be  one  which  the 
city  should  not  forget  while  its  promoter  lived  to 
enjoy  the  emoluments.  She  knew  she  was  making  her 
niece  unhappy,  but  she  argued  that  her  niece  was  too 
deeply  in  love  to  appreciate  the  value  of  opportunity. 
Besides,  on  her  wedding  day,  Grace  Vernon  would 
be  twenty-three  years  of  age,  mistress  of  herself,  her 
fortune,  and  her  husband's  home.  That  day  would 
end  the  reign  of  Elizabeth  Torrence.  The  arbiter 
was  determined  that  the  reign  should  end  in  a  blaze 
of  glory. 

As  for  Grace  and  Hugh,  they  were  to  be  mar 
ried.  That  had  been  decided  upon  by  destiny 
years  and  years  ago  and  ratified  after  Hugh 
had  reached  an  age  of  discretion.  He  said  that 
twenty-five  was  the  year  of  discretion,  if  not  of  rea 
son. 

After  the  first  transports,  each  began  to  consider 
the  importance  of  the  union,  not  only  to  themselves, 
but  to  the  world  at  large.  In  their  reflective  mo 
ments  they  realized  that  the  marriage  would  be  the 
most  wonderful  event  in  the  whole  history  of  the 
homes  of  Vernon  and  Ridgeway.  Never  before  had 
a  Vernon  married  a  Ridgeway,  and — vice  versa. 
Therefore,  the  whole  world  would  visit  upon  such  a 


22  NEDRA 

union  its  undivided  attention.  That  is  the  view  all 
engaged  people  take  of  marriage. 

Miss  Vernon  had  employed  six  weeks  of  argument 
in  convincing  Mr.  Ridgeway  that  a  church  wedding 
was  imperative,  although  she  admittedly  preferred 
the  simpler  form,  where  the  minister  conducts  the 
ceremony  in  the  presence  of  two  witnesses  and  a  ring. 
Society  demanded  the  exhibition.  Mr.  Ridgeway 
warned  her  that  he  could  not  survive  the  ordeal  and 
would  leave  her  a  widow  at  the  altar. 

Their  difficulties  had  at  last  resolved  themselves  into 
that  condition  which  confronts  every  engaged  pair; 
and  they,  like  others,  were  preparing  to  inform  the 
world  of  their  intentions. 

"There's  no  way  out  of  it,  Hugh,"  she  finally  sighed, 
"unless  we  decide  to  give  up  the  hope  of  getting 
married.  That  would  break  my  heart,"  she  said,  with 
her  rarest  smile. 

"This  would  be  the  most  delightful  period  of  my 
life  if  it  were  not  for  that  distressing  announcement, 
the  two  months  of  purgatory  between  now  and  the 
day  of  the  wedding,  and  then  the — calamity.  I  know 
it  will  be  a  calamity.  I  can't  get  through  it  alive." 

"You  poor  boy !  I  wish  we  could  have  a  quiet  little 
wedding.  It  would  be  so  sweet,  wouldn't  it,  dear?" 
she  said  plaintively,  wistfully. 

"But  instead  we  are  to  have  a  hippodrome.  Bah!" 
he  concluded  spitefully.  "I  wouldn't  talk  this  way, 
dear,  if  I  didn't  know  that  you  feel  just  as  I  do  about 
it.  But,"  and  here  he  arose  wearily,  "this  sort  of  talk 


THE    INSPIRATION  23 

isn't  helping  matters.  It's  a  case  of  church  against 
choice.  To-morrow  night  we'll  tell  'em,  and  then 
we'll  quit  sleeping  for  two  months." 

"There's  only  one  way  out  of  it  that  I  can  see.  We 
might  elope,"  she  said  laughingly,  standing  before 
him  and  rubbing  the  wrinkles  from  between  his  eyes. 

Gradually  his  gray  eyes  fell  until  they  looked  into 
hers  of  brown.  A  mutual  thought  sprang  into  the  eyes 
of  each  like  a  flash  of  light  plainly  comprehensive. 
He  seized  her  hands,  still  staring  into  her  eyes,  and 
an  exultant  hope  leaped  to  his  lips,  bursting  forth 
in  these  words : 

"By  George!" 

"Oh,  we  couldn't,"  she  whispered,  divining  his 
thought. 

"We  can !  By  all  that's  good  and  holy,  we'll  elope !" 
Hugh's  voice  was  quivering  with  enthusiasm,  his  face 
a  picture  of  relief. 

"Honestly,  do  you — do  you  think  we  could?"  The 
girl's  eyes  were  wide  with  excitement,  her  cheeks 
burning. 

"Can  we?  What's  to  prevent?  Will  you  do  it, 
Grace — will  you?"  cried  he. 

"What  will  everybody  say?" 

"Let  'em  say.  What  do  we  care?  Won't  it  be  the 
greatest  lark  that  ever  happened?  You're  the 
smartest  woman  in  the  world  for  thinking  of 
it." 

"But  I  wasn't  in  earnest,"  she  protested. 

"But  you  are  now — we  both  are.     Listen:  We  can 


24  NEDRA 

slip  away  and  get  married  and  nobody  will  be  the 
wiser  and  then,  when  we  come  back,  we  can  laugh 
at  everybody." 

"And  get  our  pictures  in  the  papers." 

"Then,  by  Hokey!  we  won't  come  back  for  five 
years!  How's  that?  That'll  fool 'em,  won't  it?  Say, 
this  is  great!  Life  is  worth  living  after  all.  You'll 
go,  won't  you,  Grace?" 

"I'd  go  to  the  end  of  the  world  with  you,  Hugh, 
but " 

"Oh,  say  you'll  go!  Now,  listen  to  this,"  he  urged, 
leaping  to  his  feet.  "We're  going  to  be  married  any 
way.  We  love  one  another.  You  can't  be  married 
until  the  twenty-third  of  May.  Lots  of  people  elope 
— even  in  the  best  of  families.  Why  shouldn't  we? 
If  we  stay  here,  we'll  have  to  face  all  the  sort  of 
thing  we  don't  like " 

"Yes,  but  it  won't  take  us  two  months  to  elope," 
she  protested.  "Sh!  Don't  speak  above  a  whisper. 
Aunt  Elizabeth  has  wonderful  ears." 

"By  Jove,  darling,  I  believe  you're  two-thirds  will 
ing  to  try  it  on,"  he  whispered. 

"We  must  be  sensible,  Hugh.  You  see,  I  can't  be 
married  until  the  twenty-third  of  May.  Well,  aunt 
is  determined  to  announce  the  engagement  to-morrow 
night.  Don't  you  see  we  couldn't  elope  until  the 
twenty-second  at  best,  so  we're  doomed  for  two  months 
of  it  in  spite  of  ourselves.  If  we  get  through  the 
two  months  why  should  we  elope  at  all?  The  worst 
will  be  over?" 


THE    INSPIRATION  25 

"We  can't  escape  the  announcement  party,  I'll  ad 
mit,  but  we  can  get  away  from  all  the  rest.  My  scheme 
is  to  elope  to  a  place  that  will  require  seven  or  eight 
weeks'  time  to  reach.  That's  a  fine  way  to  kill  time, 
don't  you  see?" 

"My  goodness!" 

"Why  not?  We  can  do  as  we  like,  can't  we?  And 
what  a  bully  lark!  I'd  be  a  downright  cad  to  ask 
you  to  do  this,  Grace,  if  I  didn't  love  you  as  I  do. 
We  can  use  assumed  names  and  all  that!" 

"Oh,  dear,  dear,  doesn't  it  sound  lovely?"  she  cried, 
her  cheeks  red  with  excitement. 

"The  twenty-third  of  May  isn't  so  far  off  after  all, 
and  it  won't  be  half  so  far  if  we're  doing  something 
like  this.  Will  you  go?" 

"If  I  only  could!  Do  you  really  think  we — we 
could?" 

"Whoop !"  he  shouted,  as  he  seized  her  in  his  arms 
and  rained  kisses  upon  her  face.  Then  he  held  her 
off  and  looked  into  her  eyes  for  a  moment.  Then 
he  gave  another  whoop,  kissed  her,  released  her  and 
did  a  wild  dance  about  the  room.  She  stood  beside 
the  big  chair,  equally  as  excited,  laughing  unre 
strainedly  at  his  hilarity.  At  last  he  brought  up  at 
the  other  side  of  the  chair. 

"But  where  could — I  mean,  shall  we  elope  to?"  she 
finally  asked. 

"Anywhere.  Bombay — Australia?  Let's  make  it  a 
stunner,  dear — let's  do  it  up  right." 

"And  be  married  away  over  there?     Oh,  Hugh  I'* 


86  NEDRA 

"Certainly.  They  can  marry  us  over  there  as  well 
as  anywhere.  Here,  I'll  write  the  names  of  ten  places 
and  we'll  draw  one  from  my  hat."  He  sat  down  be 
fore  a  table  and  feverishly  wrote  upon  the  backs 
of  a  number  of  his  calling  cards  the  names  of 
as  many  cities,  his  companion  looking  over  his 
shoulder  eagerly.  Without  ado  he  tossed  the  cards 
into  a  jardiniere  in  lieu  of  a  hat.  "Draw!"  he  said 
tragically. 

"Wait  a  minute,  Hugh.  What  have  we  to  elope 
from?  There  isn't  the  faintest  objection  in  the  world 
to  our  marriage." 

"There  you  go — backing  out!" 

"No;  I'm  just  as  willing  as  you,  but  doesn't  it  seem 
rather  absurd?"  Her  hand  hung  over  the  jardiniere 
irresolutely. 

"It  will  be  the  greatest  wedding  tour  that  mortals 
ever  took.  Draw!" 

"Well,  then,  there's  the  card.  Mercy !"  she  cried, 
dropping  a  card  on  the  table.  "That's  a  long  dis 
tance,  Hugh." 

He  picked  up  the  card  and  his  face  paled  a  little  as 
he  read : 

"Manila !" 

They  sat  down  in  the  chair,  she  on  the  arm  as  be 
fore.  After  a  moment  he  glanced  at  her  perplexed 
face,  and  asked: 

"Are  you  afraid  to  go,  Grace?" 

"It  isn't  that,  Hugh.  I  was  just  wondering  if  we 
could  reach  Manila  by  the  twenty-third  of  May.  It 


THE    INSPIRATION  27 

is  unlucky  to  change  the  wedding  day  after  it  has 
been  once  selected,"  she  said  softly. 

"Grace  Vernon,  you  are  an  angel.  I  was  afraid 
you  would  show  the  white  feather.  It's  a  go,  then 
— Manila !  We  can  start  next  week  and  get  there 
in  good  time." 

"Next  week  ?     Impossible !"  she  cried  in  alarm. 

"Nonsense !  You  can  get  ready  for  a  trip  to  New 
York,  making  your  preparations  for  a  sea  voyage 
secretly.  I'll  attend  to  all  the  details.  It  will  be  easy. 
No  one  will  ever  dream  of  what  we  are  doing  until 
we  cable  the  news  home  to  your  aunt." 

"Oh,  I  must  tell  Aunt  Elizabeth!" 

"Not  much !  That's  no  way  to  elope.  We  must  do 
it  correctly  or  not  at  all.  Nobody  is  to  know  until 
we  are  really  married.  Can  you  get  ready  in  a  week?" 

"If  I  really  must." 

"Can't  take  any  more  time  than  that  if  we  want  to 
reach  Manila  in  time  for  the  wedding." 

"Oh,  Hugh!  We  can't  go  to  Manila!"  she  cried, 
suddenly  starting  to  her  feet  in  distress.  "My  Uncle 
Harry  lives  there.  He  is  my  mother's  only  brother 
and  he's  been  there  since  the  close  cf  the  war.  He's 
in  the  hemp  business.  Oh,  dear!  How  provoking!" 
she  concluded  almost  piteously. 

"It's  fine!"  he  exclaimed  jubilantly.  "We  can  be 
married  at  his  home.  I'm  sure  he'll  be  happy  to  have 
us.  You  can  write  and  tell  him  we're  coming,  dear. 
Lord!"  with  great  relief  in  his  voice,  "that  simplifies 
matters  immensehr.  Now  we  have  an  excuse  for  going 


28  NEDRA 

to  Manila.  But  above  all  things  don't  cable  to  him. 
Write  a  nice  long  letter  and  mail  it  just  before  we 
start." 

She  was  silent  a  long  while,  staring  soberly  at  the 
blaze  in  the  grate. 

"There'll  be  no  bridesmaids  and  ushers  over  there, 
Hugh." 

"We  don't  want  'em." 

Silence  for  a  few  minutes. 

"In  a  week,  did  you  say?" 

"Positively." 

"Well,  I'll  be  ready,"  she  said  solemnly. 

He  kissed  her  tenderly,  lovingly,  pressed  her  cold 
hand  and  said  encouragingly: 

"We'll  meet  in  New  York  next  Monday  afternoon. 
Leave  everything  to  me,  dear.  It  will  be  much  pleas- 
anter  to  go  by  way  of  London  and  it  will  help  to  kill 
a  good  deal  of  time." 

"Hugh,"  she  said,  smiling  faintly,  "I  think  we're 
proving  that  father  was  right.  I  can't  possibly  ar 
rive  at  the  age  of  discretion  until  I  am  twenty-three 
and  past." 


CHAPTER  II 
THE  BEGINNING  OF  FLIGHT 

MR.  RIDGEWAY  paced  back  and  forth  outside  the 
iron  gates  in  the  Grand  Central  Station  on  the 
afternoon  of  April  1st,  190 — ,  a  smile  of  anticipation 
and  a  frown  of  impatience  alternating  in  his  fresh, 
young  face.  Certain  lines  of  care  seemed  to  have  dis 
appeared  since  we  saw  him  last,  nearly  a  week  ago, 
and  in  their  stead  beamed  the  light  of  a  new-found 
interest  in  life.  Now  and  then  he  took  from  his  pocket 
a  telegram ;  spectators  stared  amusedly  at  him  as  he 
read  and  reread: 

DETROIT,  MICHIGAN,  March  31,  190 — . 
To  H.  B.  Ridge: 

Got  away  safely.  Meet  me  Forty-second  Street, 
New  York,  to-morrow  at  three.  Feel  awfully  queer 
and  look  a  fright.  Sympathetic  lady,  next  compart 
ment,  just  offered  condolences  for  loss  of  my  hus 
band.  What  are  the  probabilities  of  storm?  Be  sure 
and  find  out  before  we  start. 

SISTER  GRACE. 

"Isn't  that  just  like  a  girl!"  he  muttered  to  himself. 
"Where  else  would  Forty-second  Street  be  but  New 
York!  London?" 


30  NEDRA 

They  had  decided  to  travel  as  brother  and  sister 
and  to  adopt  Ridge  as  the  surname.  Hugh  had  taken 
passage  for  Liverpool  on  the  liner  Saint  Cloud,  to 
sail  on  the  second,  having  first  examined  the  list  of 
passengers  to  ascertain  if  there  were  any  among 
them  who  might  know  him  or  his  companion  in 
the  adventure.  The  list  was  now  complete,  and  he, 
assured  that  there  was  no  danger  of  recognition, 
felt  the  greatest  weight  of  all  lifted  from  his 
mind. 

He  had  also  considerately  inquired  into  the  state  of 
the  weather  and  learned  that  it  promised  well  for 
the  voyage.  The  whole  affair  was  such  a  glorious 
lark,  such  an  original  enterprise,  that  he  could 
scarcely  restrain  himself  in  his  exhilaration  from  con 
fiding  in  his  chance  hotel  acquaintances. 

Purposely,  the  night  before,  he  had  gone  to  an 
hotel  where  he  was  unknown,  keeping  under  cover 
during  the  day  as  much  as  possible.  According  to 
the  prearranged  plan,  they  were  to  go  aboard  ship 
that  evening,  as  the  sailing  hour  was  early  in  the 
morning. 

He  was  waiting  for  her  train.  Every  now  and  then 
his  glance  would  shoot  through  the  throng  of  people, 
somewhat  apprehensively,  as  if  he  feared,  instead  of 
hoped,  that  some  one  might  be  there.  This  searching 
glance  was  to  determine  whether  there  might  be  any 
danger  of  Chicago  or  New  York  acquaintances  wit 
nessing  the  arrival  of  the  person  for  whom  he  waited. 
Once  he  recognized  a  friend  and  dodged  quickly 


behind  a  knot  of  people,  escaping  notice.  That  is 
why  he  audibly  muttered: 

"Thank  Heaven!" 

Every  nerve  was  tingling  with  excitement;  an  in 
describable  desire  to  fly,  to  shout,  to  race  down  the 
track  to  meet  the  train,  swept  through  him.  His 
heart  almost  stopped  beating,  and  he  felt  that  his 
face  was  bloodless.  For  the  twentieth  time  in  the 
last  two  hours  Ridgeway  looked  at  his  watch  and 
frowningly  exclaimed: 

"Only  five  after  two!     Nearly  an  hour  to  wait!" 

He  sat  down  for  a  moment,  only  to  arise  the  next 
and  walk  to  the  board  announcing  the  arrival  of 
trains.  Almost  immediately  one  pulled  into  the  sta 
tion.  Perceiving  a  bystander — one  of  the  sort  that 
always  give  the  impression  of  being  well-informed 
— he  inquired  casually  where  it  was  from. 

"Chicago,"  was  the  ready  answer. 

"Great  Scott !  Lucky  I  came  early !  Grace's  idea  of 
time — oh,  well,  only  the  small  matter  of  an  hour  out 
of  the  way." 

Quickly  he  sprang  forward,  taking  up  a  good  posi 
tion  to  watch.  First  came  a  man  hurriedly  and  alone. 
A  bunch  of  people  followed  him.  Hugh  peered  un 
successfully  here  and  there  among  them.  Another 
bunch ;  she  was  not  in  it,  and  he  began  to  feel  a  trifle 
nervous.  Now  came  the  stragglers  and  he  grew  be 
wildered.  Finally,  the  last  one — a  woman  hove  in 
sight.  With  renewed  hope  he  scanned  her  approach. 
It  was  not  Grace!  His  brain  was  in  a  whirl.  What 


32  NEDRA 

could  have  happened?  Where  was  she?  Again  he 
jerked  out  the  telegram. 

"Meet  me  Forty-second  Street,  New  York,  at  three," 
he  read  half -aloud.  "Nothing  could  be  plainer,"  he 
mused  in  perplexity.  "No  train  at  three;  another  at 
— she  must  be  on  a  later  one." 

"What  time  is  the  next  Chicago  train  due?"  he  in 
quired  anxiously  at  the  Information  Bureau. 

"Five-thirty,  sir,"  politely  answered  the  official. 

"Five-thirty!"   he  repeated   disgustedly. 

Again  the  telegram  was  brought  out  and  this  time 
shown. 

"On  what  road  did  you  expect  the  lady?"  was  the 
question  put  with  well-simulated  interest  that  every 
few  minutes  was  practised  on  different  individuals. 

"Road?"  Hugh  stared  blankly  at  his  questioner. 
"What  road?"  Then,  like  a  flash,  the  solution  of  the 
problem  pierced  his  brain. 

"What  an  ass  I  am!"  he  burst  out,  and  added  sheep 
ishly:  "West  Shore!" 

Purposely  avoiding  the  other's  face  for  confirma 
tion  of  his  self-depreciatory  exclamation,  together 
with  its  unmistakable  expression  of  professional  tol 
erance  for  the  imbecilities  of  mankind,  Hugh  looked 
at  the  time.  It  was  two-thirty.  Tearing  out  of  the 
station,  he  hailed  a  cab. 

Inside,  and  moving  fast,  he  winced  a  little  as  he 
thought  of  his  late  strictures  on  girls  and  their  ways. 
What  a  shame  to  have  abused  Grace,  when  he  himself 
had  told  her  to  take  the  Wabash  as  essential  to  their 


THE    BEGINNING   OF   FLIGHT      33 

plan.  What  a  blooming  idiot  he  was !  New  York 
in  the  telegram  meant,  of  course,  the  New  York  side 
of  the  river.  He  recovered  his  equanimity;  the  world 
was  serene  again. 

With  a  sharp  pull  the  cabman  brought  up  at 
the  ferry  and  Hugh  took  his  stand  among  those 
waiting  for  the  boat  to  disgorge  its  load  of  pas 
sengers. 

At  that  moment  a  thought  struck  him,  and  acting 
on  it,  he  called  out: 

"Hi !  porter !" 

"Here,  sir!" 

"Where  can  I  get  some  note  paper?" 

"All  right,  sir !"  and  in  an  instant  a  pad  of  paper  was 
forthcoming. 

Hugh  took  out  his  pencil  and  wrote  a  brief  note. 
Then,  in  a  low  voice,  he  said: 

"Here,  porter!  I  want  you  to  do  something  for 
me." 

"Yes,  sir!" 

"I'll  make  it  worth  your  while,  but  I  won't  have 
you  attending  to  any  one  else — understand?" 

The  porter  demonstrated  with  a  nod  his  perfect 
comprehensiion  of  what  was  required,  and  there  fol 
lowed  from  his  employer  a  minute  description  of  the 
lady. 

"Young,  slight,  tall,  fair,  black  hat  and  veil, 
and " 

"In  mourning,  sir,  undoubtedly?" 

"Mourning!     No,  of  course  not.     Cannot  a  lady 


34.  NEDRA 

wear  black  without  being  in  mourning?"  Hugh  ex 
postulated  sharply. 

"Certainly,  sir;  but  generally — 

Whatever  costume  the  worldly-wise  porter  would 
have  approved  as  en  regie  for  a  lady,  under  condi 
tions  to  his  thinking  so  obviously  indiscreet,  the  de 
scription  was  forestalled  by  the  ingenuous  young 
man,  who,  dissimilarly  apprehensive  and  oblivious  to 
the  innuendo,  was  heard  to  grumble: 

"What  on  earth  is  the  matter  with  people?  Every 
body  seems  to  delight  in  painting  this  most  delec 
table  of  undertakings  in  the  most  funereal  colors !" 
and  went  on  anxiously :  "You're  sure  you  won't  miss 
her?" 

With  an  indulgent  smile  for  the  youth  and  in 
experience  of  his  patron,  and  glancing  surreptitiously 
at  the  size  of  the  bill  in  his  hand,  the  attendant  calmly 
announced  that  there  was  not  the  faintest  possibility 
of  an  error.  He  took  his  position  a  little  to  the  right 
of  and  behind  Hugh,  like  an  adjutant  at  dress  parade. 
Through  the  ferry  rushed  the  weary,  impatient 
travellers.  Owing  to  the  place  Hugh  had  taken  at 
one  side  of  the  run,  Grace,  at  first,  did  not  perceive 
him.  Anxiety,  almost  fright,  showed  in  her  face; 
there  passed  through  her  a  thrill  of  consternation  at 
the  thought  that  perhaps  he  had  not  received  her 
telegram.  The  tense  figure  clasped  the  travelling- 
bag  convulsively,  and  her  brown  eyes  flashed  a  look 
of  alarm  over  the  waiting  throng.  Another  moment 
and  their  gaze  met ;  a  voice  ringing  with  happiness 


THE    BEGINNING   OF    FLIGHT      35 

assailed  her ;  her  heart  throbbed  again,  and  the  blood 
rushed  back  to  her  troubled  face. 

Hugh  started  forward. 

"Hello,  old  man !"  came  suddenly  from  out  of  the 
crowd,  and  two  heavy  bags  plunked  down  on  the 
floor ;  two  strong  hands  grabbed  Hugh  by  the  shoul 
ders  and  their  owner  cried  out  boisterously:  "What 
in  the  name  of  all  the  gods  are  you  doing  here  in 
New  York?" 

Hugh's  heart  was  in  his  mouth.  His  blood  froze 
within  him.  For,  shaking  him  with  the  embrace  of 
a  playful  bear,  was  his  old  friend  McLane  Woods — 
his  chum  at  Princeton. 

Dazed,  and  not  daring  to  look  up,  the  entangled 
man  made  a  wild,  imploring  gesture  to  the  porter. 
The  latter  caught  it,  stepped  forward  and  placed  the 
note  in  the  girl's  hands. 

"In  case  I  am  held  up,  go  to  the  Astor.  Will  fol 
low,"  were  the  words  she  read  quickly.  With  ready 
wit  and  only  one  stealthy  glance  at  the  two  men, 
Grace  speedily  followed  in  the  wake  of  the  too  ob 
sequious  porter,  who  placed  her  in  a  cab. 

"To  the  Astor!"  was  the  transferred  instruction. 
The  cabman,  quick  to  note  the  ambiguity  in  the  di 
rection  given,  prepared,  with  the  subtlety  of  his  kind, 
for  a  long  drive  downtown. 

However,  the  little  comedy  had  not  quite  escaped 
attention.  There  was  a  note  of  banter  in  the  strident 
voice  that  again  addressed  Hugh,  the  speaker  ac 
companying  it  with  a  resounding  slap  on  the  back. 


36  NEDRA 

"Congratulations  in  order,  old  man?  Come — you're 
caught — own  up !  Who  is  she  ?"  This  with  a  crony- 
like  dig  in  the  ribs.  "Runaway  match,  eh?" 

At  the  other's  greeting,  Ridgeway  promptly  assured 
himself  that  all  was  lost,  and  was  about  to  return 
the  welcome  as  best  he  could,  when  the  danger  in  the 
final  words  checked  him,  compelled  a  subterfuge. 

Assuming  a  stony  glare,  an  unnatural  twist  of  the 
mouth,  the  "old  man"  turned  his  bewildered  glance 
upon  the  speaker,  allowing  it  to  resolve  itself  into  a 
sickening  show  of  reproachfulness,  and  said  in  a  voice 
that  almost  made  its  owner  laugh,  it  was  so  villain 
ously  artificial: 

"You  have  the  best  of  me,  sir !" 

An  amazed  expression  came  over  the  face  of  Mr. 
Woods.  His  glowing  smile  dwindled  into  an  in 
credulous  stare. 

"Don't  you  know  me,  Hugh?"  he  finally  demanded, 
half  indignantly. 

"I  do  not,  sir.  My  name  is  not  Hugh,  by  the  way. 
It  is  evident  that  you  mistake  me  for  some  one  else," 
answered  Mr.  Ridgeway  solemnly  and  gutturally. 

"Do  you  mean  to  say — oh,  come  now,  old  man,  don't 
stand  up  there  and  try  to  make  a  monkey  of  me. 
When  did  you  get  in?"  cried  Woods. 

"Pardon  me,"  sharply  responded  the  other,  "but  I 
must  insist  that  you  are  mistaken.  I  am  Dr.  James 
Morton  of  Baltimore.  The  resemblance  must  be  re 
markable." 

Woods  glared  at  Hugh,  perfectly  dumb  with  amaze- 


THE    BEGINNING   OF    FLIGHT      37 

ment.  He  passed  his  hand  over  his  eyes,  cleared  his 
throat  a  time  or  two,  but  seemed  completely  at  a  loss 
for  words  to  express  himself. 

"Are  you  in  earnest?"  he  stammered.  "Are  you  not 

Hugh  Ridgeway  of  Princeton,  ninety :  but 

Hugh  interrupted  him  politely. 

"Assuredly  not.  Never  was  at  Princeton  in  my  life. 
Yale.  Will  you  give  me  your  name  and  the  address 
of  your  friend,  please?  By  Jove,  I'd  like  to  hunt 
him  up  some  time!"  Hugh  was  searching  in  his 
pockets  as  if  for  a  pencil  and  memorandum-book  and 
waiting  for  his  old  chum  to  give  him  his  name. 

"Well,  of  all  the —  -"  muttered  Woods,  looking 
into  the  other's  face  penetratingly.  "I  never  heard 
of  anything  like  it.  My  name  is  McLane  Woods, 
and  the  man  who  looks  like  you  is  Hugh  Ridgeway 
of  Chicago.  I — I'll  be  hanged  if  it  isn't  too  strange 
to  be  true." 

"Very  strange,  indeed,"  smiled  Hugh,  striving  to 
maintain  the  expression  he  had  assumed  at  the  begin 
ning — a  very  difficult  task. 

"But  this  isn't  all.  At  Newburg,  I  boarded  the 
train,  and  happening  to  go  through,  I  saw  some  one 
that  I  could  have  sworn  was  a  Miss  Vernon,  whom 
I  met  when  visiting  Ridgeway  in  Chicago.  I  started 
to  speak  to  her;  but  she  gave  me  such  a  frigid  stare 
that  I  sailed  by,  convinced  that  I  was  mistaken.  Two 
such  likenesses  in  one  day  beats  my  time.  Doesn't 
seem  possible,  by  George !  it  doesn't,"  exclaimed  the 
puzzled  New  Yorker,  his  eyes  glued  to  the  counte- 


38  NEDRA 

nance  of  the  man  before  him,  who,  by  the  way,  had 
almost  betrayed  himself  at  the  mention  of  Miss  Ver- 
non's  name.  A  thrill  of  admiration  ran  through  him 
when  Woods  announced  his  reception  by  the  clever 
girl  who  was  running  away  with  him. 

"I'll  do  my  best  to  meet  this  Mr.  Ridgeway.  I  am 
frequently  in  Chicago,"  said  he.  "Glad  to  have  met 
you,  Mr.  Woods,  anyhow.  If  you  are  ever  in  Balti 
more,  hunt  me  up.  I  am  in  the  E —  -  Building." 

"With  pleasure,  doctor;  how  long  will  you  be  in 
New  York?" 

"I  am  going  away  to-morrow." 

"Won't  you  come  with  me  to  my  club?"  began 
Woods,  but  Hugh  interrupted  by  beckoning  to  the 
omnipresent  porter. 

"Thanks !  Much  obliged !  Like  to,  you  know,  but 
have  an  appointment!"  And,  shaking  his  hand, 
"Good-by !" 

"Good-by !"  gasped  Woods  reluctantly,  as  if  de 
siring  one  word  more.  But  Hugh,  with  a  grin  on  his 
face  that  awakened  renewed  expectations  on  the  part 
of  the  porter,  was  making,  stiff  and  straight,  for 
the  baggage-room.  Once,  looking  back  over  his 
shoulder,  he  saw  that  Woods  was  standing  stock  still ; 
and  again,  with  another  smile,  he  watched  his  mysti 
fied  friend  slowly  depart. 

"Now,  then,  my  man,  tell  me  quickly — you  gave 
her  the  note?  What  did  she  do?  Where  did  she  go? 
Out  with  it — why  don't  you  speak?" 

"All  right,  sir.     Everything  's  aH  right.     The  lady 


THE    BEGINNING   OF   FLIGHT      39 

has  gone  to  the  hotel,"  replied  the  man  as  soon  as 
Hugh  gave  him  a  chance  to  answer. 

"Good.  Find  me  another  cab,  quick.  And  here," 
handing  him  a  dollar. 

Meanwhile,  Grace  Vernon,  quite  sanguine  of  soon 
being  with  Hugh,  was  approaching  the  lower  part  of 
the  city,  reasoning,  quite  logically,  that  a  downtown 
hotel  was  selected  on  account  of  the  probable  absence 
of  the  ultra-fashionable  set.  There,  their  secret  would 
be  safe, — and  also  they  would  be  nearer  the  steamer. 

Arriving  at  her  destination,  Grace  dismissed  the  dis 
appointed  cabman,  and  entered  the  ladies'  waiting- 
room,  where  she  rang  for  the  clerk. 

"Is  there  a  Mr.  Ridge  staying  here?"  she  asked  of 
him  with  an  assurance  that,  she  flattered  herself,  was 
admirably  assumed. 

"No  such  person  with  us,  madam.  Were  you  ex 
pecting  him?" 

"Why,  }res,"  she  replied,  a  little  confused.  "He 
should  be  here  any  minute." 

And  to  his  inquiry  as  to  whether  she  would  require 
anything  in  the  meantime,  there  came  a  reply  in 
the  negative  and  he  departed. 

With  a  sigh  of  relief  at  being  alone,  she  crossed 
over  to  a  desk  and  busied  herself  in  writing  a  long 
letter.  This  accomplished,  she  arose,  moved  over  to 
the  window  and  looked  out.  The  waiting-room  faced 
the  main  artery  of  the  city,  and  below  her  was  the 
endless  stream  of  humanity.  Endeavoring  to  check 
a  slight  feeling  of  uneasiness  that  was  fast  coming 


40  NEDRA 

over  her  at  Hugh's  unexpected  non-appearance,  she 
tried  to  concentrate  her  thoughts  on  the  panorama 
of  the  streets.  A  half  hour  passed.  Then,  in  spite 
of  herself,  nervousness  assailed  her.  What  could  be 
keeping  him?  Had  he  met  with  an  accident?  Or, 
could  she  have  made  a  mistake  in  the  name  under 
which  he  was  to  register — could  he  be  waiting  for 
her  all  the  time?  Back  and  forth,  to  and  fro  the 
girl  paced.  Thoroughly  alarmed  and  in  spite  of  a 
sense  of  mortification  at  such  an  undertaking,  she 
again  interviewed  the  clerk. 

"Will  it  be  convenient  for  me  to  see  the  register?" 
she  inquired,  forced  to  conceal  her  embarrassment. 

The  clerk  obligingly  brought  the  book  and  eagerly 
she  scanned  the  list.  Unfortunately,  for  her,  there 
was  no  mistake.  Nothing  like  Ridgeway,  Ridge  or 
Hugh's  handwriting  greeted  her  anxious  eyes. 

A  silence  that  seemed  an  inconceivably  long  one  to 
the  almost  overwrought  girl  was  broken  by  the  clerk 
asking  would  she  register? 

Grace  could  hardly  restrain  her  agitation.  The 
critical  moment  had  come.  Something  must  be  done. 
But  what?  Should  she  register  and  under  what 
name?  Or,  should  she  wait  longer;  and  if  not,  where 
should  she  go?  Finally,  with  a  desperate  effort,  she 
looked  imploringly  at  him,  and  with  heightened  color, 
gasped : 

"No,  thank  you ;  I'll  wait  a  little  longer  for  my — 
my — brother." 

Jt  was  out.    The  prevarication  had  been  uttered,  and 


THE   BEGINNING   OF   FLIGHT      41 

Grace  felt  as  if  she  had  committed  a  crime  and  pun 
ishment  was  at  hand.  Tears  of  distress  came  to  her 
eyes ;  the  situation  was  becoming  intolerable. 

It  was  just  then  that  there  came  a  shrill  cry: 

"Miss  Ridge !" 

Grace  remained  immovable.  The  name  she  had  in 
quired  for  a  few  minutes  ago  was  called  without  bring 
ing  a  sign  or  change  of  expression  to  the  beautiful 
face,  on  which  the  wondering  eyes  of  the  clerk  were 
fixed.  He  started  to  speak,  but  was  withheld  by  her 
impassibility. 

Again  the  same  cry,  and  this  time,  the  last  word 
was  accentuated.  A  boy  entered. 

As  the  clerk,  slightly  raising  his  eyebrows,  turned 
toward  her,  Grace  gave  a  little  start;  an  enlightened 
glance  shot  from  her  eyes ;  the  significance  of  the  call 
gradually  dawned  upon  her. 

"I  am  Miss  Ridge!"  came  excitedly  from  her  trem 
bling  lips,  the  hot  blood  crimsoning  her  cheeks. 

"A  telephone " 

"For  me  ?"  she  asked  uneasily. 

"From  Mr.  Ridge ;  wants  you  to  wait,"  finished  the 
boy. 

"Thank  you!  Oh,  thank  you!"  The  girl  beamed 
her  relief  on  the  staring  bell-boy.  And,  the  message 
having  been  delayed,  the  grateful  words  were  hardly 
spoken  before  Hugh,  almost  distracted,  rushed  into 
the  room.  Regardless  of  appearances  or  conse 
quences,  the  tall  young  fellow  seized  her  and  kissed 
her  in  a  fashion  that  would  have  brought  terrible  re- 


42  NEDRA 

buke,  under  any  other  circumstance,  and  which  cer 
tainly  caused  the  clerk  to  consider  this  Mr.  Ridge  the 
most  demonstrative  brother  that  in  a  long  experience 
in  hotel  life  he  had  ever  encountered.  When  Hugh 
held  her  at  arm's  length  to  give  his  admiring  gaze 
full  scope,  he  saw  tears  of  joy  swimming  in  her  eyes. 
Her  voice  quivered  as  she  sighed: 

"I  should  have  died  in  another  moment!" 

"You  are  the  dearest  girl  in  all  the  world !"  Then 
he  explained  to  her  the  cause  of  the  delay.  After 
getting  rid  of  Woods,  he  had  rushed  to  the  Hotel 
Astor,  where  he  expected  to  find  her  waiting  for  him. 
All  inquiries  as  to  whether  any  lady  answering  to 
her  description  had  been  seen  there  had  resulted  in 
failure.  He  would  have  been  there  yet,  growing  an 
grier  all  the  while,  had  not  a  gentleman  who  had 
overheard  his  troubles  suggested  that  he  telephone 
the  Astor  House,  in  the  hope  that  the  lady  might  be 
waiting  there. 

At  the  end  of  this  recital  of  his  vexatious  experi 
ence  Hugh  seized  her  travelling-bag,  and  together 
they  made  their  way  out  of  the  hotel. 

"Oh,  Hugh !"  cried  Grace,  hanging  back  a  little. 
"What  did  Mr.  Woods  say  to  you?  What  did  you 
say?  Do  you  know  he  tried  to  speak  with  me  on  the 
train?" 

"Honestly,  I  don't  remember,  dear— sister.  He's 
the  most  muddled  man,  though,  in  New  York,  I'll 
bet  a  dollar.  And  now  that  I  think  of  it,  it  wasn't 
absolutely  necessary ;  but  when  he  guyed  me  about  a 


THE    BEGINNING   OF    FLIGHT      43 

runaway  match,  it  paralyzed  me,  and  I  had  to  do 
something,  so  I  swore  that  I  had  never  heard  of  such 
a  person  as  Ridgeway." 

Grace  was  too  astounded  to  speak. 

"Then  he  told  me  of  meeting  you,"  he  continued, 
"and  that  settled  it.  Poor  old  Woods !  What  a  trump 
you  were,  Grace !" 

"You  wouldn't  have  thought  so  if  you  could  have 
seen  me  when  I  first  boarded  the  train.  My !  I  was 
blue !  Fortunately,  I  did  not  see  him  until  we  were 
nearly  here.  Hugh  Ridgeway — Ridge,  I  mean — do 
you  know  what  I  did  ?  It  will  make  you  very  angry !" 
she  said  as  they  waited  for  a  cab. 

"Nothing  could  make  me  angry."  This  was  said 
ten  seconds  later,  when  they  were  inside  the  cab  and 
a  nervous,  smiling  young  woman  at  his  side  was 
squeezing  his  arm  expressively.  "Driver!"  he  called 
out,  "go  uptown — anywhere — through  the  park  un 
til  I  tell  you  to  stop!"  and  turning  to  her,  added: 
"We'll  have  a  bit  of  dinner  somewhere  and  then  go 
aboard.  Now,  what  did  you  do?" 

"Well,"  she  went  on,  "I  actually  tossed  up  a  quarter 
in  the  compartment  to  see  whether  I  should  go  on  or 
turn  back." 

"You  did?     Really?     Who  won?" 

"I  did,"  she  answered  naively. 

"No ;  I  did.  I  am  beginning  to  feel  too  lucky  to  be 
awake.  And  would  you  have  turned  back  if  you  had 
lost?  Would  you  have  left  me  here  with  all  this  an 
ticipation  to  dispose  of?"  he  cried. 


44  NEDRA 

"If  it  came  tails,  I  was  to  turn  back.     It  came  tails." 

"What!     And  you  came  anyhow?" 

"Well,  you  see,  after  the  first  flip  I  concluded  to 
make  it  two  out  of  three  trials.  So  I  flipped  again, 
Hugh,  and  it  came  tails.  Then  I  made  it  three  out 
of  five.  That  was  only  fair,  wasn't  it?" 

"Certainly.  Seven  out  of  thirteen  or  eleven  out  of 
twenty,  just  so  you  won." 

"I  tossed  that  coin  seventeen  times,  and  the  final 
count  was  nine  for  New  York  and  eight  for  Chicago. 
The  train  had  started,  so  I  didn't  flip  again.  Wasn't 
it  a  narrow  majority,  dear?" 

"If  it  were  not  for  appearing  ridiculous,  I  would 
kiss  you  seventeen  times  right  here.  Oh,  how  about 
your  baggage — luggage,  I  mean?"  he  cried. 

"The  transfer  man  will  take  them  to  the  dock.  I 
have  ten  big  ones — new  steamer  trunks.  You'll  never 
know  how  much  trouble  I  had  in  getting  them  packed 
and  out  of  the  house." 

"Ten !    Great  Scott !    I  have  but  two !" 

"Don't  worry,  dear.  You  can  pack  some  of  your 
things  in  mine — coming  home,  of  course,"  she  said 
laughingly. 

"Great,  isn't  it?"  he  chuckled.  "Nobody  on  earth 
ever  did  anything  like  it.  But  before  I  forget  it, 
how  did  you  leave  your  aunt?" 

"Poor  Aunt  Elizabeth !  She  will  be  so  disappointed. 
I  promised  to  do  a  lot  of  shopping  for  her.  But 
she's  well  and  can  endure  the  delay,  I  fancy.  To  pre 
pare  her  for  the  shock,  I  told  her  that  I  might  stay 


THE    BEGINNING   OF   FLIGHT      45 

East  for  a  couple  of  weeks,  perhaps  longer.  She  does 
not  suspect  a  thing,  but  she  was  awfully  cut  up  about 
my  leaving  at  this  time." 

"I'm  glad  you  quieted  Aunt  Elizabeth,  for  it  would 
be  just  like  her  to  send  detectives  after  us."  Both 
laughed  as  he  whispered  this  to  her.  As  the  cab 
whirled  away  she  said: 

"What  happy  fools  we  are !" 

"Sit  back,  quick!  Cover  your  face,"  he  suddenly 
cried. 

"What — who  is  it?"  she  giggled. 

"We  just  passed  a  policeman,  and  he  looked  rather 
hard  at  the  windows,"  he  cried,  with  a  broad  grin. 

"Oh,  you  ninny!" 

"Well,  we  must  elope  with  fear  and  trembling  or  it 
won't  count,"  he  cried.  "Is  there  anything  you  have 
to  buy  before  we  sail?  If  there  is,  we  must  attend 
to  it  now,  because  we  leave  at  a  most  outlandish  hour 
in  the  morning." 

Miss  Vernon  looked  alarmed  for  a  moment,  the  real 
enormity  of  the  escapade  striking  her  with  full  force. 
But  she  smiled  in  the  next  and  said  that  she  could 
make  a  few  necessary  purchases  in  a  few  minutes  if 
he  would  direct  the  cabman.  "It's  a  long  way  to 
Manila,  you  know,"  she  said.  "Hugh,  I  noticed  in 
the  paper  the  other  day  that  this  is  the  season  for 
typhoons,  or  whatever  you  call  them,  in  the  Indian 
Ocean.  I  looked  them  up  in  the  dictionary.  There's 
a  picture  of  one  in  action,  and  they  must  be  dreadful 
things.  One  of  them  could  tear  our  ship  to  pieces  in 


46  NEDRA 

a  minute,  I  should  judge.     Wouldn't  it  be  awful  —  if 


"Pshaw!  Typhoons  are  nothing!  It's  a  simoon 
that  you're  thinking  about,  and  they  happen  only 
on  the  desert.  In  what  dictionary  did  you  see  that?" 

"Webster's,  of  course." 

Mr.  Ridgeway  did  not  continue  along  that  line,  but 
mentally  resolved  to  look  into  Webster's  on  the  sly, 
and,  furthermore,  to  ask  the  captain  of  the  Saint 
Cloud  to  tell  him  all  he  knew  about  typhoons. 

"Have  him  drive  to  Arnold's,  Hugh." 

She  left  him  in  the  carriage  in  front  of  the  store, 
promising  to  be  gone  not  more  than  five  minutes. 
Ten  minutes  passed  and  Hugh  resignedly  lighted  a 
cigarette,  stepping  to  the  sidewalk  to  smoke.  After 
he  had  smoked  four  cigarettes  a  perceptible  frown 
approached  his  brow.  He  looked  at  the  big  doorway, 
then  at  his  watch,  then  at  the  imperturbable  cabman. 
Her  five  minutes  had  grown  to  half  an  hour.  His 
good  nature  was  going  to  the  bad  and  he  was  about 
to  follow  in  her  footsteps  when  suddenly  he  saw  her 
emerging  from  the  store. 

"I  had  to  mail  a  letter,"  she  explained  as  they  drove 
off.  "Oh,  Hugh,  I'm  so  nervous,  I  know  that  I  will 
do  something  silly  before  we  sail." 

"A  letter?" 

"Yes;  I  mailed  one  letter  to  Uncle  Harry  before  I 
left  Chicago,  you  know,  but  I  forgot  something  im 
portant,  so  I  had  to  write  again  to-day." 

"What  did  you  forget?" 


THE    BEGINNING   OF   FLIGHT      47 

"I  forgot  to  tell  him  you  were  coming  out  on  the 
same  ship  and  would  look  after  me  as  if  I  were  your 
own  sister,  Hugh." 

Strange  to  say,  neither  of  them  smiled  as  their  hands 
met  in  a  warm,  confident  clasp. 


CHAPTER  III 
THE  FIRST  OBSTACLE 

A  DRIZZLING  rain  began  to  fall  and  an  overcast  sky, 
cold  and  bleak,  dropped  lower  and  lower  until  it  cov 
ered  the  dripping  park  like  a  sombre  mantle.  The 
glass  in  the  hood  of  the  hansom  kept  out  the  biting 
rain,  but  the  drear  approach  of  a  wet  evening  was 
not  to  be  denied.  For  nearly  three  hours  Hugh  and 
Grace  had  been  driven  through  the  park  and  up  the 
Riverside,  killing  time  with  a  nervous  energy  that 
was  beginning  to  tell.  The  electric  lights  were  com 
ing  on ;  pavements  glistened  with  the  glare  from  the 
globes ;  tiny  volcanoes  leaped  up  by  thousands  as  the 
patting,  swishing  raindrops  flounced  to  the  side 
walks. 

"Isn't  it  dismal?"  murmured  Grace,  huddling  closer 
to  his  side.  "I  thought  the  weather  man  said  it  was 
to  be  nice?  It's  horrid!" 

"I  think  it's  lovely!"  said  he  beamingly.  "Just  the 
sort  of  weather  for  a  mystery  like  this.  It  begins  like 
a  novel." 

"I  hope  it  ends  as  most  of  them  do,  commonplace  as 
they  are.  Anyhow,  it  will  be  fun  to  dine  at  Sherry's. 
If  any  one  that  we  know  should  see  us,  we  can 
say " 


THE    FIRST    OBSTACLE  49 

"No,  dear;  we'll  not  attempt  to  explain.  In  the 
face  of  what  is  to  follow,  I  don't  believe  an  accounting 
is  necessary.  This  is  to  be  our  last  dinner  in  good  old 
America  for  many  a  day,  dear.  We'll  have  a  good 
one,  just  for  history's  sake.  What  kind  of  a  bird 
will  you  have?" 

"A  lark,  I  think,"  she  said  with  a  bright 
smile. 

"Oh,  one  doesn't  eat  the  lark  for  dinner.  He's  a 
breakfast  bird,  you  know.  One  rises  with  him.  Be 
sides,  we  should  try  to  keep  our  lark  in  fine  feather 
instead  of  subjecting  it  to  the  discomforts  of  a  grid 
iron  in  some " 

His  observations  came  to  an  abrupt  close  as  both 
he  and  his  companion  pitched  forward  violently, 
barely  saving  themselves  from  projection  through  the 
glass.  The  hansom  had  come  to  a  sudden  stop,  and 
outside  there  was  a  confused  sound  of  shouting  with 
the  crunching  of  wood  and  the  scraping  of  wheels. 
The  horse  plunged,  the  cab  rocked  sharply  and  then 
came  to  a  standstill. 

"What  is  it?"  gasped  Grace,  trying  to  straighten 
her  hat  and  find  her  bag  at  the  same  time.  Hugh 
managed  to  raise  the  glass  and  peer  dazedly  forth 
into  the  gathering  night.  A  sweep  of  fine  rain  blew 
into  their  faces.  He  saw  a  jumble  of  high  vehicles,  a 
small  knot  of  men  on  the  sidewalk,  gesticulating 
hands  on  every  side,  and  then  came  the  oaths  and 
sharp  commands. 

"We've  smashed  into  something!"  he  said  to  her. 


50  NEDRA 

"Some  one  is  hurt !  Confound  these  reckless  drivers ! 
Why  can't  they  watch  where — 

"Come  down  off  that !"  shouted  a  voice  at  the  wheel, 
and  he  saw  a  huge  policeman  brandishing  his  club  at 
the  driver  above.  "Come  down,  I  say !" 

"Aw,  the  d —  -  fool  backed  into  me,"  retorted  the 
driver  of  Hugh's  hansom.  His  fare  noticed  that  they 
were  at  the  Sherry  corner,  and  the  usual  crowd  of 
seven-o'clock  cabs  was  in  full  evidence. 

"That'll  do — that'll  do,"  roared  the  officer.  "I  saw 
the  whole  thing.  Ye've  cracked  his  head,  you  dirty 
cur." 

Two  men  were  holding  the  horse's  head  and  other 
policemen  were  making  their  way  to  the  side  of  their 
fellow-officer.  Evidently  something  serious  had  hap 
pened. 

"What's  the  trouble?"  Hugh  called  out  to  the  of 
ficer. 

"You'll  find  out  soon  enough,"  answered  the  police 
man.  "Don't  butt  in — don't  butt  in !" 

"Here,  here,  now !"  exclaimed  Mr.  Ridgeway. 
"You've  no  right  to  talk  like  that  to " 

"Oh,  I  ain't,  eh?  Well,  we'll  see  if  somebody  else 
has  a  right.  You  dudes  can't  kill  people  and  then 
get  off  with  talk  like  that.  Not  much,  my  Johnny. 
You  go  along,  too,  an'  explain  yer  hurry  to  the 
captain." 

"But  I've  got  a  lady  here " 

"Tush !  tush !    Don't  chew  the  rag.     Stay  in  there !" 

Other  officers  had  dragged  the  driver  from  the  cab, 


THE    FIRST   OBSTACLE  51 

jostling  him  roughly  to  the  outer  circle  of  wheels. 
The  man  was  protesting  loudly.  Rain  had  no  power 
to  keep  a  curious  crowd  from  collecting.  Hugh,  in 
dignant  beyond  expression,  would  have  leaped  to  the 
ground  had  not  a  second  and  superior  officer  stepped 
up  and  raised  his  hand. 

"Don't  get  down,  sir,"  he  said  with  gentle  firmness. 
"I'm  afraid  you'll  have  to  go  to  the  station  for  a  few 
minutes." 

"But,  confound  it,  officer — I  have  nothing  to  do 
with  this  row." 

"That  may  be  true,  sir.  You  can  explain  all  that 
at  the  desk.  We  have  to  get  at  the  bottom  of  this. 
This  is  no  place  to  argue." 

A  moment  later  the  hansom,  with  a  bent  axle,  was 
hobbling  its  way  down  the  street  engineered  by  blue- 
coats.  Hugh,  seeing  that  it  was  useless  to  remon 
strate,  sank  back  in  the  seat  and  swore  audibly. 

"Don't  worry  about  it,  Hugh,"  said  a  soft  voice  in 
his  ear.  "We  can  explain,  can't  we?" 

"You  can't  explain  anything  to  asses,  Grace,"  he 
lamented,  "especially  if  they  wear  buttons."  They 
lapsed  into  a  mournful,  regretful  silence.  For  five 
full  minutes  the  hansom  wobbled  painfully  along  and 
then  pulled  up  in  front  of  a  building  which  Hugh 
lugubriously  recognized  as  a  police  station.  "We've 
got  to  make  the  best  of  it,  dear.  Did  you  ever  hear 
of  such  beastly  luck?  I'll  see  if  they  won't  let  me 
go  in  alone  and  square  things.  You  won't  be  afraid 
to  sit  out  here  alone  for  a  few  minutes,  will  you? 


52  NEDRA 

There's  really  nothing  to  be  alarmed  about.  This 
driver  of  ours  is  in  trouble,  that's  all.  We're  not  to 
blame.  A  word  or  two  will  fix  everything.  I'll  be 
out  in  a  jiffy." 

But  the  bluecoats  would  not  see  it  that  way.  Miss 
Vernon  was  compelled  to  climb  down  from  the  seat 
and  march  indignantly  into  the  desk  sergeant's  pres 
ence.  Hugh  at  once  began  to  explain  and  to  ex 
postulate  against  what  he  called  an  outrage. 

"What  had  we  to  do  with  it?  The  truth  is,  I  don't 
know  what  has  happened,"  he  was  saying. 

"Neither  do  I,"  said  the  bewhiskered  sergeant 
shortly.  "Who  are  you,  sir?" 

"These  people  saw  the  whole  thing,  sir.  They  were 
in  the  hansom  when  Bernhardt  smashed  him,  an'  this 
felly  had  ordered  him  to  get  to  Sherry's  in  five  min 
utes  if  he  had  to  kill  some  one,"  explained  the  of 
ficer  who  had  first  addressed  Hugh  in  the  crowd. 

"That's  a  lie,"  cried  Hugh.  "I  said  if  he  had  to 
kill  the  old  plug.  Who  is  Bernhardt?  What  the 
deuce  is  it  all  about?" 

"I  don't  believe  the  gentleman  saw  the  row,"  said 
the  polite  roundsman.  "It  happened  in  the  crush 
there." 

"Somebody  shall  pay  for  this  outrage,"  exclaimed 
Ridgeway.  "It's  beastly  to  drag  a  lady  and  gentle 
man  into  a  police  station  like  common  criminals  when 
they " 

"That  will  do,  sir,"  commanded  the  sergeant 
sharply.  "You'll  talk  when  you  are  asked  to,  sir." 


THE    FIRST   OBSTACLE  53 

Turning  to  the  patrolman,  he  asked,  "Has  that  fel 
low  been  taken  to  the  hospital  ?" 

"The  ambulance  came  up  just  as  we  left,  sir." 

"Bernhardt  says  he  didn't  hit  him.  He  says  the 
guy  fell  off  his  own  cab." 

"Don't  cry,  dear,"  Hugh  managed  to  whisper  to 
Grace  as  they  took  the  seats  designated  by  a  brusque 
man  in  blue. 

"Never !"  she  whispered  bravely.     "It's  a  lark !" 

"Bravo!  We'll  have  that  bird  yet — at  Sherry's." 
Then  he  approached  the  desk  with  determination  in 
his  eye.  "Look  here,  officer,  I  demand  respectful  at 
tention.  Whatever  it  was  that  happened  between 
those  cabmen,  I  had  nothing  to  do  with  it,  and  I 
am  absolutely  ignorant  of  the  trouble.  We  have  a 
dinner  engagement,  and  I  want  you  to  take  our  state 
ments,  or  whatever  it  is  you  want,  and  let  us  go  our 
way." 

"What  is  your  name?"  shortly. 

"Why — er — that  isn't  necessary,  is  it?"  floundered 
Hugh. 

"Of  course  it  is.     Name,  please." 

"Will  it  get  into  the  papers?" 

"That's  nothin'  to  me.  Will  you  answer  now,  or 
do  you  want  to  stay  here  till  mornin'?" 

"My  name  is  Smith." 

"Place  of  residence?" 

"Brooklyn." 

"Who's  the  lady?" 

"My  sister." 


54  NEDRA 

"Step  up  here,  lady,  if  you  please!" 

Hugh  felt  the  floor  giving  away  beneath  him.  That 
Grace  could  not  have  heard  a  word  of  the  foregoing 
examination,  he  was  perfectly  aware.  Vainly,  and 
with  a  movement  of  his  lips,  he  essayed  to  convey  the 
name  she  should  answer. 

"Don't  butt  in,  you !"  was  the  instant  warning  given 
by  the  observant  officer,  and  then 

"Lady,  what  is  your  name?" 

-  For  a  moment  the  question  bewildered  the  girl.  With 
considerable  misgiving  she  discerned  that  another  oc 
casion  for  prevarication  was  unavoidable,  and  some 
thing  like  a  sigh  escaped  her  lips ;  but  as  suddenly 
fear  gave  way  to  a  feeling  of  elation.  How  clever 
Hugh  would  consider  her  remembrance  of  his  instruc 
tions  !  What  felicity  to  extricate  him  from  this  pre 
dicament  !  Alone,  she  would  save  the  situation ! 

Unblushingly,  and  with  a  glance  at  him  for  instant 
approval,  she  stepped  forward  and  pronounced  jubi 
lantly  the  alias  agreed  upon: 

"Ridge — Miss  Ridge  is  my  name." 

A  smothered  exclamation  of  dismay  burst  from 
Hugh's  lips. 

"Eh,  what?  Miss  Ridge,  and  your  brother's  name 
— Smith?"  ejaculated  the  man  of  authority. 

For  a  brief  moment  there  was  a  pause  of  embar 
rassment;  and  then  with  a  dazzling,  bewitching 
smile  directed  at  her  questioner,  she  electrified  them 
both: 

"Most  assuredly.     Mr.  Smith  is  my  half-brother." 


THE   FIRST   OBSTACLE  55 

Hugh  could  have  shouted  for  joy,  as  he  watched  the 
somewhat  amused  discomfiture  of  the  officer. 

"Where  do  you  live?" 

"St.  Louis,"  gasped  she,  with  blind  confidence  in 
luck. 

"Oh,  humph!  Well,  wait  a  minute,"  he  said,  and 
both  were  gratified  to  see  a  good-natured  grin  on  his 
face.  "Buckley,  see  if  there  is  a  family  named  Smith 
in  Brooklyn  with  connection  in  St.  Louis.  Sit  down, 
Miss  Ridge,  please,  and  don't  be  worried.  This  is 
what  we  have  to  do.  Your  driver  slugged  another 
of  his  kind  and  he's  likely  to  die  of  the  fall  he  got. 
We'll  have  to  use  you  as  witnesses,  that's  all,  an'  we 
must  have  you  where  we  can  put  our  hands  on  you  in 
the  mornin'.  The  captain  will  be  here  in  an  hour  or 
two  and  you  can  probably  manage  to  give  some  kind 
of  bond  for  your  appearance.  People  like  you  don't 
like  to  appear  in  court,  you  see,  so  we've  got  to  make 
sure  of  you." 

"But  we  must  go  to  our — our  dinner,"  she  wailed  so 
prettily  that  he  coughed  to  cover  his  official  severity. 

"Can't  be  helped,  ma'am.  Duty,  you  know.  The 
captain  will  soon  be  here.  Would  you  like  to  tele 
phone,  sir?" 

Hugh  stared  and  looked  embarrassed.  Who  was 
there  for  him  to  talk  to  over  the  'phone?  And  that 
brought  another  ghastly  thought  to  mind.  Who 
could  he  ask  to  give  security  for  his  or  her  appear 
ance  in  the  morning?  He  found  words  to  say  he 
would  telephone  to  his  friends,  a  bright  idea  suddenly 


56  NEDRA 

coming  to  the  rescue.  Grace  looked  her  amazement 
and  alarm  as  he  marched  into  the  telephone  booth. 
Bravely  he  called  up  Sherry's  and,  with  the  sergeant 
listening,  he  sent  word  to  the  head  waiter  to  inform 

Mr.  (mentioning  the  name  of  a  very  prominent 

society  leader)  that  Mr.  Smith  and  Miss  Ridge  were 
unavoidably  detained  and  could  not  join  the  party 
until  quite  late,  if  at  all.  He  came  from  the  booth 
very  much  pleased  with  himself,  and  sat  down  beside 
Grace  to  await  developments. 

"What  are  we  to  do?"  she  whispered. 

"Give  me  time  to  think,  dear.  I  fooled  him  that 
time.  Perhaps  I  can  do  it  again.  Great  bluff,  wasn't 
it?  What  do  you  suppose  Mr.  will  think?" 

"But  if  they  should  insist  upon  holding  us  till  morn 
ing,"  she  cried,  on  the  verge  of  tears,  trouble  loom 
ing  up  like  a  mountain. 

"They  won't  dare  do  that.  They'll  probably  send 
us  to  a  hotel  with  a  plain-clothes  man  unless  we  give 
bond,  but  that's  all.  I'll  try  another  bluff  and  see 
how  it  works.  There's  no  use  kicking  about  it.  We're 
not  in  a  position  to  stir  up  much  of  a  row,  you  see, 
dear." 

He  tried  it  when  the  captain  came  in  unexpectedly 
a  few  minutes  later,  and  with  the  most  gratifying  re 
sults.  He  obtained  consent  to  go  with  a  plain-clothes 
man  to  a  nearby  restaurant  for  a  "bite  to  eat."  In 
the  meantime  he  was  to  send  a  messenger  boy  with  a 
note  to  an  influential  friend  in  Brooklyn,  requesting 
him  to  hurry  over  and  give  security  for  their  appear- 


THE   FIRST   OBSTACLE  5T 

ance.  If  this  failed,  they  were  to  go  to  a  hotel  under 
guard. 

"The  only  thing  that  sounds  fishy  about  your  story, 
Mr.  Smith,  is  that  you  say  you  are  brother  and 
sister,"  said  the  captain.  "Driving  all  afternoon  in 
the  park  with  your  own  sister?  Queer." 

"She's  from  Missouri,  you  know,"  said  Hugh  with 
a  fine  inspiration.  The  captain  laughed,  even  though 
he  was  not  convinced. 

"Now,  Grace,  dear,"  said  Hugh  as  they  waited  for 
the  cab  to  be  called,  "our  adventure  is  on  in  dead 
earnest.  We  have  to  give  this  plain-clothes  man  the 
slip  and  get  aboard  the  Saint  Cloud  before  they  have 
time  to  think.  They  won't  look  for  us  there  and  we're 
safe." 

"Hugh,  I'm  frightened  half  to  death,"  she  whis 
pered.  "Can  we  do  it?  Would  it  not  be  wiser  to  give 
up  the  whole  plan,  Hugh,  and " 

"Oh,  Grace!"  he  cried,  deep  regret  in  his  voice* 
"What  a  cad  I  am  to  be  dragging  you  into  all  this 
sort  of  thing!  Yes,  dear.  We'll  give  it  up.  We'll 
go  back  to  Chicago.  It's  too  much  to  ask  of  you. 
I'll " 

"No,  no,  Hugh!  Forgive  me.  I'll  be  strong  and 
firm.  I  wouldn't  give  it  up  for  all  the  world.  I — 
I  was  just  a  bit  weak  for  a  second,  you  know.  It  does 
look  pretty  big  and  wild,  dear, — all  that  is  ahead  of 
us.  But,  after  all,  it's  like  any  sea  voyage,  isn't  it? 
Only  we're  going  to  be  married  when  it's  over.  We 
wouldn't  think  anything  of  taking  a  trip  to  Manila 


58  NEDRA 

under  ordinary  circumstances,  would  we?  It's  all 
right,  isn't  it?"  He  squeezed  her  hand  cautiously  but 
fervently. 

To  their  disgust  the  plain-clothes  man  took  the  seat 
opposite  them  in  the  brougham,  remarking  as  he  did 
so  that  he  had  sense  enough  to  get  in  out  of  the  rain. 
They  had  no  opportunity  to  concoct  a  plan  for  es 
cape,  and  it  was  necessary  for  them  to  go  on  to  the 
restaurant  in  Longacre  Square.  It  occurred  to  Hugh 
that  it  would  be  timely  to  explain  why  they  were  not 
dressed  for  dinner.  They  were  on  their  way  to  the 
hotel  to  dress  when  the  fracas  took  place.  The  plain- 
clothes  man  was  not  interested.  Evidently  the  authori 
ties  did  not  apprehend  much  trouble  from  the  two 
young  people;  their  guardian  performed  his  duties 
perfunctorily  and  considerately.  He  even  disap 
peared  from  view  after  they  entered  the  restaurant. 

"We'll  have  that  bird,"  said  Hugh,  "before  we  do 
anything  else.  I'm  hungry.  Haven't  eaten  since  last 
night,  dear.  I've  been  too  excited  to  think  of  eating 
— or  sleeping." 

In  a  quiet  corner  of  the  big  cafe  they  had  their 
bird  and  just  enough  champagne  to  give  them  the 
courage  that  counts.  With  their  heads  close  together 
they  planned  and  plotted  until  they  forgot  the  rain 
that  pattered  against  the  window  panes,  and  dreari 
ness  turned  to  rosy  assurance. 

"Just  0.  little  nerve,  dear,"  said  he  as  they  arose. 
"Do  as  I  have  told  you  and  trust  to  luck.  It  can't 
fail." 


THE   FIRST    OBSTACLE  59 

The  plain-clothes  man  was  just  outside  the  door. 
Scores  of  people  were  hurrying  past,  umbrellas  raised 
in  the  face  of  the  drizzle.  Down  Broadway  the  glare 
of  lights  was  broken  and  left  hazy  in  the  fog  like 
rain.  The  sidewalks  in  the  distance  looked  like  a 
bobbing  field  of  black  mushrooms,  shiny  and  sleek. 
The  air  was  chill  with  the  wet  shadows  of  a  night  that 
hated  to  surrender  to  the  light  of  man. 

"Where's  the  cab?"  demanded  Hugh.  "Get  it  up 
here  quick.  I  don't  want  to  keep  my  friend  waiting 
at  the  station.  Come  in  and  have  a  drink,  officer. 
It's  no  fun  standing  around  this  kind  of  weather. 
No  job  for  a  decent  human  being,  I'd  say.  Especially 
when  one's  set  to  watch  respectable  people  and  not 
criminals.  This  is  a  rattling  good  joke  on  me — and 
my  sister.  I  need  about  three  good,  stiff  drinks. 
We'll  go  in  next  door  here.  Get  into  the  cab,  Marian. 
We  won't  be  inside  two  minutes." 

If  the  plain-clothes  man  was  willing  to  take  the 
drink,  all  well  and  good,  but  if  he  refused — but  he 
did  not  refuse.  He  looked  carefully  about,  shivered 
appropriately,  and  said  he  "didn't  care  if  he  did." 
Grace  urged  them  to  hurry  as  she  entered  the  cab  and 
Hugh  gave  his  promise.  Scarcely  had  the  two  men 
passed  beyond  the  light  screen  doors  when  Grace  Ver- 
non  coolly  stepped  from  the  cab  and  hurriedly  made 
her  way  off  through  the  crowd  of  umbrellas,  first  tell 
ing  the  driver  to  wait  for  her  in  front  of  the  drug 
store. 

A  moment  later  she  boarded  a  Broadway  car,  nervous 


60  NEDRA 

and  excited,  but  intent  only  on  reaching  a  place  where 
she  could  safely  engage  a  cab  to  take  her  to  the  dock. 
And  all  the  time  she  was  hoping  and  praying,  not  for 
herself,  but  for  the  important  young  gentleman  who 
was  clicking  his  righteous  glass  in  a  den  of  iniquity. 


CHAPTER  IV 
READY  FOR  THE  SEA 

RIDGEWAY,  his  nerves  tense  and  his  eyes  gleaming, 
marched  his  thoroughly  chilled  companion  up  to  the 
bar.  He  manoeuvred  so  that  the  plain-clothes  man 
stood  with  his  back  toward  the  door,  and  he  seemed 
to  be  in  no  especial  haste  to  attract  the  attention 
of  the  bartender.  As  they  gave  their  order  for 
drinks,  Hugh  saw  Grace,  in  his  mind's  eye,  slipping 
from  the  carriage  and  off  into  the  crowd — and  every 
fibre  of  his  heart  was  praying  for  success  to  attend 
her  flight.  He  found  himself  talking  glibly,  even 
volubly  to  the  watcher,  surprised  that  he  could  be 
doing  it  with  his  mind  so  full  of  other  thoughts. 

"Awful  night  to  be  out.  I'd  hate  to  have  a  job  like 
yours,"  he  was  rattling  on,  heaving  intermittent 
breaths  of  relief  as  he  saw  the  size  of  the  drink  the 
other  was  pouring  out  for  himself. 

"I've  been  at  it  for  twelve  years.  I  don't  mind  any 
thing  just  so  it  helps  to  make  a  comfortable  home 
for  the  old  lady  and  the  kids." 

"Ah,  the  kids,"  said  Hugh,  grasping  at  the  sub 
ject  as  if  it  were  the  proverbial  straw.  "How  I  love 
kids !  How  many  have  you  ?" 

"Four.     The  oldest  is  ten." 


62  NEDRA 

"They're  worth  working  for,  I'll  bet.  Nothing  like 
children.  How  many  have  you?" 

"Four,"  said  the  officer,  looking  at  him  in  surprise. 

"I'm  a  little  deaf,"  explained  Hugh,  recovering  him 
self  quickly.  "I  thought  you  said  ten." 

"No ;  the  oldest  is  ten.  Yes ;  they're  worth  slaving 
for.  I've  hung  onto  this  job  all  these  years  just  be 
cause  it  might  go  hard  with  'em  if  I  gave  it  up  and 
tried  something  else." 

Hugh  looked  into  the  sober,  serious  face  and  a  lump 
flew  to  his  throat.  It  struck  him  as  probable  that 
this  man  was  to  lose  his  position  the  next  morning.  A 
sort  of  pity  assailed  Ridgeway  for  an  instant,  but  he 
put  it  away  resolutely. 

After  all,  he  had  Grace  to  think  of  and  not  the 
children  of  the  plain-clothes  man. 

They  had  a  second  drink  and  it  fired  his  brain  with 
a  gleeful  desire  for  action.  The  plain-clothes  man 
shivered  as  he  swallowed  the  fiery  stuff.  He  looked 
thin  and  haggard  and  ill,  a  condition  which  Hugh, 
in  his  hatred,  had  failed  to  observe  until  this  moment. 

"You  certainly  have  a  home  and  some  money  saved 
up  by  this  time,"  he  said,  trying  to  suppress  the  eager 
gleam  in  his  eyes. 

"We've  had  lots  of  sickness  and  it's  taken  nearly 

everything.  Besides,  I've  been  too  d honest.  It's 

my  own  fault  that  I  haven't  a  big  wad  put  away." 

"What  is  your  name?"  demanded  Hugh  suddenly. 

"Friend." 

"I  understand  all  that.     But  what  is  your  name?" 


READY    FOR    THE    SEA  63 

"That's  it — George  Friend  Street   Station." 

"Oh,  I  see."  Hugh  also  saw  the  picture  of  this 
poor  fellow  as  he  stood  before  his  superior  later  on 
with  his  luckless  tale,  facing  a  thirty-days'  lay-off  at 
the  lowest.  "By  the  way,  I  want  to  write  a  short 
note."  He  secured  envelope,  paper  and  stamp  from 
the  bar  and  hastily  wrote  a  brief  letter.  The  inscrip 
tion  on  the  outside  of  the  envelope  was  "George 
Friend,  -  —  Police  Station,  New  York,"  and  there 
were  three  one-hundred-dollar  bills  inclosed  with  the 
note  of  explanation.  "I'll  mail  it  later,"  he  said. 
"Come  on." 

They  went  forth  into  the  rain,  Hugh's  blood  leaping 
with  excitement,  the  plain-clothes  man  shivering  as 
if  he  were  congealing.  Mr.  Ridgeway  dashed  across 
the  pavement  and  peered  into  the  cab.  Grace  was 
not  there,  just  as  he  had  hoped  and  expected. 

"The  lady's  in  the  drug-store  below,  sir,"  announced 
the  cabman. 

"Wait  here,"  called  Hugh  to  the  plain-clothes  man. 
"I'm  afraid  she's  ill.  She's  gone  to  the  drug-store." 
He  hurried  toward  the  drug-store  as  the  officer  began 
to  question  the  driver.  A  second  later  Mr.  Ridgeway 
turned  the  corner  and  was  off  like  the  wind  toward 
Sixth  Avenue.  Turning  into  an  alley,  he  fled  south 
ward,  chuckling  to  himself  as  he  splashed  through 
the  puddles  and  mudholes.  He  heard  shouts  in  the 
distance  and  he  did  not  decrease  his  speed  until  he 
neared  the  street  opening  below.  There  he  ran  into 
some  one  and  fell.  Besmeared  and  bespattered,  he 


64*  NEDRA 

quickly  picked  himself  up ;  and  when,  a  moment  later, 
he  gained  the  sidewalk,  no  one  would  hardly  have 
recognized  in  the  dilapidated-looking  creature  the 
dapper  Hugh  Ridgeway.  Police  whistles  were  call 
ing  behind  him,  nearer  and  nearer,  but  he  walked 
boldly  out  into  the  street  and  up  to  Sixth  Avenue. 
His  nerves  were  tingling  and  his  breathing  was  hard 
to  control  after  the  mad  dash  through  the  alley,  but 
he  slouched  along  in  the  lee  of  the  buildings  to  escape 
the  downpour,  stopping  near  the  corner. 

Suddenly  he  rushed  out  and  hailed  a  passing  cab, 
climbed  inside  and  gave  orders  to  drive  as  quickly  as 
possible  to  the  Twenty-third  Street  Ferry.  Then  he 
sat  up  boldly  and  stared  forth  with  all  the  courage 
that  his  escape  inspired. 

"By  Jove,"  he  was  shouting  inwardly,  "that  poor 
devil  was  on  my  heels.  He  looked  hard  as  he  hustled 
past,  but  I  stared  back  just  as  hard.  It  took  nerve 
to  face  him.  Hang  it  all,  I'm  sorry  for  him.  He 
wasn't  to  blame.  But  this  letter  will  cheer  him 
up.  It's  for  the  kids  if  anything  happens  to 
him." 

Apparently  changing  his  mind  at  Herald  Square,  he 
instructed  the  driver  to  go  down  Thirty-fifth  Street 
to  Eighth  Avenue  and  drop  him  at  the  corner.  After 
leaving  the  cab  he  ventured  into  an  all-night  shop 
and  bought  a  cheap  raincoat,  slouch  hat  and  um 
brella.  Then,  like  a  thief,  he  stole  forth  and  warily 
made  his  way  toward  the  dock.  It  was  bad  going 
and  he  hailed  a  second  cab.  Before  climbing  into 


READY    FOR    THE    SEA  65 

it,  he  crossed  and  dropped  an  envelope  into  the  mail 
box. 

"There,"  he  muttered,  "that  helps  my  conscience. 
By  Jove,  this  has  been  a  corking  start  for  the  adven 
ture.  Talk  about  dime  novels  !" 

He  instructed  the  driver  to  take  him  to  a  point  not 
far  from  the  dock,  a  precaution  which  suddenly  in 
vented  itself.  It  would  be  wise  to  approach  the  liner 
by  stealth,  taking  no  chances.  They  were  sailing  by 
one  of  the  obscure  lines,  not  for  economy's  sake,  but 
to  avoid  possible  contact  with  friends  of  their  own 
class. 

As  he  rattled  off  through  the  night,  huddled  back 
in  the  blackness  of  the  cab,  Hugh  began  to  have 
the  first  pangs  of  uneasiness.  The  distressing  fear 
that  all  had  not  gone  well  with  Grace  flooded  his 
brain  with  misgivings  and  feverish  doubts.  A  clock  in 
a  shop  window  told  him  it  was  nearly  ten  o'clock.  He 
was  cursing  himself  for  permitting  her  to  rush  off 
alone  in  a  night  like  this,  into  a  quarter  that  reeked 
with  uncertainty  and  disorder.  Vague  horrors  pre 
sented  themselves  to  his  distressed  mind;  calamity 
stared  at  him  from  the  mouth  of  every  dark  alley; 
outrage,  crime,  misfortune,  danced  in  every  shadow. 
As  for  himself,  he  was  a  sorry  sight  and  enough  to 
frighten  Grace  into  convulsions  at  one  glance.  Rain- 
soaked,  muddy,  bedraggled,  it  was  not  the  debon- 
naire  Chicagoan  of  old  who  skulked  away  from  the 
cab  at  a  certain  black  corner  and  made  his  way 
stealthily,  even  fearfully,  toward  the  distant  dock. 


66  NEDRA 

Every  sound  startled  and  alarmed  him ;  every  pe 
destrian  looked  like  a  pursuer  in  plain  clothes  or  blue. 
A  couple  of  policemen  eyed  him  sharply  and  he  trem 
bled  in  his  boots.  The  sudden,  overpowering  recol 
lection  that  he  had  the  passage  tickets  in  his  pockets 
with  the  reservations  and  the  luggage  checks  almost 
sent  him  flying  through  the  air,  so  swift  was  his 
pace.  He  lost  his  way  twice,  but  was  set  straight 
by  unsuspecting  bluecoats. 

At  last  he  zigzagged  his  way  through  devious  chan 
nels  and  into  the  presence  of  a  company's  official,  who 
informed  him  that  Miss  Ridge  had  not  gone  aboard 
nor  had  she  presented  herself  at  the  dock  during  the 
evening.  Hugh's  jaw  dropped  and  a  sick,  damp  per 
spiration  started  on  his  forehead.  Hardly  knowing 
what  he  did,  he  went  aboard  and  plied  his  questions 
right  and  left,  hoping  that  she  might  have  come 
through  unobserved.  But  she  vas  not  there,  and  it 
was  half  past  ten  o'clock. 

Out  into  the  drizzle  he  sallied  once  more,  racked  by 
a  hundred  doubts  and  misgivings.  Reproaching  him 
self  fiercely  for  a  fool,  a  dolt,  he  posted  himself  at 
the  approach  to  the  dock  and  strained  his  eyes  and 
ears  for  the  first  sight  of  Grace  Vernon.  Other  peo 
ple  went  aboard,  but  an  hour  passed  before  he  gave 
up  all  hope  and  distractedly  made  up  his  mind  to 
institute  a  search  for  the  missing  girl.  He  conjec 
tured  all  manner  of  mishaps,  even  to  the  most  dread 
ful  of  catastrophes.  Runaway  accident,  robbery,  ab 
duction,  even  murder  harassed  his  imagination  until 


READY    FOR    THE    SEA  67 

it  became  unbearable.  The  only  cheerful  alternative 
that  he  could  hope  for  was  that  she  might  not  have 
escaped  the  authorities  after  all  and  was  still  in  cus 
tody,  crushed  and  despairing.  Reviling  himself  with 
a  bitterness  that  was  explicit  but  impotent,  he  started 
off  resolutely  to  seek  the  aid  of  the  police — the  last 
extremity. 

A  quick  little  shriek  came  to  his  ears,  and  then  the 
door  of  a  cab  that  had  been  standing  at  the  oppo 
site  corner  flew  open. 

"Hugh!  Hugh!"  called  a  shrill  voice.  His  heart 
gave  a  wild  leap  and  then  his  long  legs  did  the  same 
— repeatedly.  As  he  brought  up  beside  the  cab, 
Grace  Vernon  tumbled  out,  sobbing  and  laughing  al 
most  hysterically. 

"Good  Heavens!"  shouted  he,  regardless  of  the 
driver,  who  grinned  scornfully  from  his  private  box 
above,  the  only  witness  to  this  most  unconventional 
comedy  of  circumstances. 

"I've  been — been  here  an  hour — in  this  cab!"  she 
cried  plaintively.  "Oh,  oh,  oh!  You'll  never  know 
how  I  felt  all  that  time.  It  seemed  a  year.  Where 
did  you  get  those  awful-looking  clothes,  and — 

"What — aw — oh,  the  coat?  Great  Jehoshaphat! 
You  don't  mean  to  say  that — 

"I  thought  you  were  a  detective !"  she  sobbed.  "Oh, 
how  wretched  I've  been.  Pay  the  man,  dear,  and  take 
me — take  me  any  place  where  there  is  light.  I'm 
dying  from  the  sight  and  sound  of  this  awful  night." 

Mr.   Ridgeway  lost   no  time  in   paying  the   driver 


68  NEDRA 

and  getting  her  on  board  the  Saint  Cloud.  She  tried 
to  explain  as  they  hurried  along,  but  he  told  her  there 
was  time  enough  for  that. 

"We  may  be  watched,  after  all,"  he  said,  looking 
anxiously  in  all  directions,  a  habit  that  had  grown 
upon  him  to  such  an  extent  that  he  feared  it  would 
cling  to  him  through  life.  "Go  to  your  stateroom, 
dearest,  and  I'll  send  you  something  hot  to  drink. 
Good  Heavens,  what  an  eternity  it  has  been !  Oh,  if 
you  could  only  know  what  I've  been  calling  myself!" 

"I'm  ashamed  to  admit  it,  dear,  but  I've  been  call 
ing  you  things,  too.  And  I've  been  so  worried  about 
you.  How  did  you  get  away  from  that  man?" 

"Not  now,  dear.  I'll  meet  you  out  here  in  the  li 
brary  in  half  an  hour.  I'll  see  about  the  luggage." 

"You  must  change  your  clothes,  Hugh.  You're 
frightfully  wet.  Send  my  small  trunk  and  bag  right 
up,  dear." 

Like  a  thief  and  murderer,  Hugh  slunk  out  and 
attended  to  the  trunks  and  bags,  watching  all  the 
time  for  the  dreaded  plain-clothes  man  and  his  co 
horts,  trembling  with  a  nervous  fear  so  unbecoming 
in  a  strong  man  that  the  baggage  master  smiled  in 
derision  and  imagined  he  was  looking  upon  a 
"greenie"  who  was  making  his  first  voyage  and  was 
afraid  of  the  sea.  Offering  up  a  prayer  of  thank 
fulness,  he  bolted  into  his  own  stateroom  soon  after 
ward  and  came  forth  later  on  in  dry  clothes  and  a  new 
frame  of  mind.  He  was  exuberant,  happy  once 
more. 


READY    FOR    THE    SEA  69 

They  did  not  look  like  brother  and  sister  as  they 
sat  on  one  of  the  wide  sofas  and  drank  the  toddy  that 
came  from  below  in  charge  of  a  well-feed  steward. 

"Be  careful,  dear !"  he  warned,  with  returning  rea 
son.  "They'll  think  we're  bride  and  groom." 

"Oh,  dear  me,"  she  lamented.  "It  is  almost  out  of 
the  question  to  act  like  brother  and  sister  after  all 
we've  been  through  to-night." 

"Now,  tell  me  all  about  it.  How  did  it  all  work 
out  for  you,"  he  asked  eagerly. 

"Well,  it  was  all  very  simple — although  I  was 
frightened  half  to  death — until  I  drove  up  to  the 
spot  where  you  saw  me  a  little  while  ago.  I  thought 
it  would  be  wise  to  take  a  look  around  before  I  tried 
to  go  aboard.  Just  as  I  left  the  cab  a  man  rushed 
past  me  and  I  flew  back  into  my  seat  like  a  bullet. 
He  was  a  tall,  slouchy  fellow,  with  a  sly  look.  All 
at  once  it  came  to  me  that  he  was  a  detective.  You 
know,  they're  always  mysterious  looking.  So  I  stayed 
in  the  cab  trying  to  think  what  to  do  next.  I  was 
quite  sure  you  had  not  yet  arrived,  for  I  had  come 
down  as  quickly  as  possible.  And  I  wasn't  real  sure, 
either,  that  you  had  escaped.  I  didn't  know  how 
many  drinks  it  might  take,  dear." 

"Don't  let  me  forget  to  tell  you  how  sorry  I  was 
for  Mr.  Plain  Clothes  and  what  I  did  afterward  for 
the  kids,"  interposed  Hugh. 

"The  kids?" 

"Yes.      His." 

"Oh,  I  see.     Well,  pretty  soon  that  awful  man  came 


70  NEDRA 

out  and  stood  at  the  corner.  He  was  waiting  for 
some  one.  He  was  nervous  and  sleuth-like.  He  acted 
so  queerly  that  I  was  sure  of  it.  He  was  after  you 
and  me.  Of  course,  I  nearly  fainted.  All  the  time 
I  was  afraid  you  would  run  right  into  his  arms,  so 
I  was  watching  from  both  windows  to  warn  you  if 
possible.  My  plan  was  to  get  you  into  the  cab  and 
drive  away  like  mad.  Hours  passed,  it  seemed  to  me, 
and " 

"I  know  the  rest !"  he  cried,  laughing  so  loud  that 
the  steward  looked  up  reprovingly. 

"Is  everything  ready,  Hugh?"  she  asked  anxiously. 
"The  trunks,  the  tickets, — everything?" 

"Yes,  dear,"  he  said  tenderly,  soberly.  "We  are 
ready  for  the  sea." 

"God  be  with  us,"  she  said  wistfully. 


CHAPTER  V 
MR.  AND  MISS  RIDGE  SAIL  FOR  MANILA 

LONDON.  A  thick  fog,  and  the  elopers  on  board  the 
Tempest  Queen,  one  of  the  fastest  and  most  palatial 
of  the  liners  which  ply  between  England  and  the  Far 
East,  and  for  ten  years  under  the  command  of  Cap 
tain  Shadburn,  formerly  of  the  British  Navy.  For 
the  elopement  was  now  an  established  fact,  and  Hugh, 
looking  back  on  their  Atlantic  voyage,  hoped  that 
in  this  new  ship  fortune  would  be  more  propitious. 

Excitement,  an  exaggerated  dread  of  being  fol 
lowed  by  detectives,  together  with  seasickness,  had 
been  too  much  for  Grace,  and  all  those  weary  days 
she  had  scarcely  left  her  stateroom.  Alone  in  her 
bunk,  ticketed  to  the  other  side  of  the  world,  running 
away  from  nothing  but  a  foolish  aversion,*  the  girl 
had  felt  her  heart  grow  cold  with  a  nameless  dread,  a 
clammy  fear  that  she  had  undertaken  something  that 
she  could  not  accomplish.  Almost  hourly  each  day 
of  that  unending  voyage,  Hugh  would  knock  at  her 
door  and  beg  to  be  allowed  to  do  something  to  alleviate 
her  sufferings ;  then  a  thrill  of  new  tenderness  would 
dart  into  her  soul  as  she  thought  of  her  champion  for 
all  time. 

And  Hugh.    Never  had  time  seemed  such  an  eternity. 


72  NEDRA 

Do  what  he  would,  he  could  not  escape  the  Nemesis- 
like  conviction  that  he  had  led  the  girl  he  loved  into 
the  most  unheard-of  folly ;  had  carried  her  to  the 
point  where  ruin  stood  on  equal  footing  with  suc 
cess,  and  joy  itself  was  a  menace.  Yet  during  all 
these  days  of  torment  concerning  her  enfeebled  con 
dition  and  his  recklessness,  he  remembered  with  sar 
donic  satisfaction  that  he  had  left  in  the  safety  vault, 
in  Chicago,  a  full  statement  of  their  plans  and  in 
tentions,  with  instructions  to  have  the  seal  broken  on 
March  30th,  one  year  after  date  of  deposit.  If  any 
thing  happened  to  them,  this  was  to  be  the  means  of 
shedding  light  on  the  mystery.  And  when  in  New 
York  he  had  deposited  a  second  statement,  with  in 
structions  to  send  it  to  Chicago  on  April  1st,  one  year 
later.  In  this  he  had  made  known  their  itinerary  as 
fully  as  he  could  give  it  at  the  time.  And  although 
he  cursed  himself  often  for  being  a  fool,  there  were 
moments,  and  especially  as  they  neared  the  foreign 
shores,  when  he  rejoiced  over  this  maddest,  j oiliest  of 
frolics. 

The  fact  that  the  short  rest  in  London  had  done 
wonders  for  Grace,  together  with  the  hurry  and 
bustle  incident  to  sailing,  sent  Hugh's  spirits  higher 
and  higher.  As  the  two  watched  the  ship  drawn  away 
from  the  pier  and  dragged  slowly  into  clearer  waters, 
the  knowledge  that  they  were  irrevocably  consigned 
to  the  consummation  of  their  project  acted  on  him 
like  a  stimulant.  Just  before  going  on  board  he  had 
asked,  half-fearful  that  she  was  losing  heart,  if  she 


MR.    AND    MISS    RIDGE    SAIL        73 

still  desired  to  complete  the  journey.  He  told  her 
that  it  was  not  too  late  to  turn  back  and  that  he 
would  agree  to  any  modification  of  the  original  plan 
that  she  might  suggest. 

There  was  not  a  waver  in  the  clear  brown  eyes,  nor 
a  quiver  in  her  voice  as  she  replied.  Instead,  there 
was  a  flicker  indicating  injured  pride,  followed  by 
the  sweetest,  tenderest  smile  that  he  ever  had  seen 
on  her  face. 

"Dear  old  Hugh!  Did  I  not  tell  you  that  I  would 
go  to  the  end  of  the  world  with  you?" 

"But  we  may  go  to  the  bottom  of  the  sea,"  he  in 
terposed,  seizing  her  hands,  his  face  lighting  up 
gladly. 

"Then  I  shall  go  to  the  bottom  of  the  sea  with  you. 
I  never  have  felt  the  faintest  desire  to  turn  back. 
It  has  been  my  greatest  happiness  to  think  that  some 
day  we  shall  reach  Manila,  where  our  dear  adven 
ture  may  have  its  second  and  most  delightful  epoch. 
Would  I  turn  back?  Would  you?"  She  looked  di 
vinely  happy  as  she  answered  her  first  triumphant 
question  with  the  second. 

And  so  they  sailed  again. 

As  on  their  first  voyage,  their  staterooms  adjoined. 
Passage  and  accommodation  had  been  booked  for 
H.  B.  Ridge  and  Miss  Ridge,  Chicago,  U.  S.  A. 

The  following  morning,  Grace  was  awakened  by  a 
rattling  at  her  stateroom  door. 

"How  are  you  feeling?"  called  a  well-known  voice 
rather  anxiously. 


74  NEDRA 

"Quite  well,  thank  you.     Is  it  time  to  get  up?" 

"I  should  say  so,  Sis." 

"All  right ;  in  ten  minutes."  As  she  set  her  feet 
upon  the  floor  she  observed  a  tendency  on  their  part 
to  touch  twice  before  settling  finally.  A  momentary 
dizziness  came  over  her.  She  closed  her  eyes  quickly 
and  waited  a  moment  before  reopening  them.  Sud 
denly  Hugh's  photograph,  which  was  leaning  against 
her  hat  on  the  steamer  trunk,  ducked  slowly  toward 
her  as  if  bowing  a  polite  good-morning,  and  then 
fell  face  downward.  Miss  Vernon  rubbed  her  eyes 
and  stared  at  the  overturned  picture  for  a  full  min 
ute  before  resuming  her  toilet.  Then  she  laughed 
nervously  and  made  all  haste  to  get  on  deck.  She  was 
one  of  the  few  women  who  dress  quickly  and  yet  look 
well.  Attired  in  a  becoming  gown,  a  jaunty  cap, 
checked  raincoat  and  rough  brown  gloves,  she  ven 
tured  forth  expecting  to  find  Hugh  waiting  for  her. 
At  the  same  time  she  was  thanking  her  lucky  stars 
that  no  longer  need  she  fear  the  authorities. 

Slightly  dismayed  and  a  little  bewildered,  she  looked 
to  the  right  and  left,  trying  to  remember  which  state 
room  Hugh  occupied.  The  left,  she  concluded,  and 
forthwith  applied  her  pretty  knuckles  to  the  panel 
vigorously.  The  door  flew  open,  almost  taking  her 
breath,  and  a  tall,  dark  man  stood  before  her,  but 
he  was  not  Hugh  Ridgeway.  He  looked  askance  in 
a  very  polite  way. 

"I  beg  your  pardon,"  she  stammered  in  confusion. 
"I  have  made  a  mistake.  This  isn't  Mr. — my  broth- 


MR.   AND   MISS   RIDGE   SAIL        75 

er's  room,  is  it?  Oh,  dear,  how  absurd  of  me."  She 
was  turning  away  as  she  concluded. 

"Can  I  be  of  service  to  you?"  asked  the  stranger, 
stepping  forth.  He  had  a  very  pleasant  voice,  but 
she  did  not  remark  it  at  the  time. 

"No,  I  thank  you,"  she  hastily  replied.  "His  room 
is  on  my  right,  I  remember.  Sorry  if  I  disturbed 
you,"  and  she  was  pounding  on  the  other  door.  She 
glanced  back  at  the  stranger's  door  involuntarily  and 
then  away  instantly.  He  was  staring  at  her  in  a  most 
uncalled-for  manner. 

And  Hugh  did  not  answer!  She  rapped  again  and 
— no  response.  The  calm  voice  of  the  stranger  came 
to  her  reddening  ears. 

"The  gentleman  who  occupies  that  room  just  passed 
me,  going  on  deck.  Straight  ahead.  That's  right." 
He  called  the  last  injunction  after  her  swiftly  depart 
ing  form. 

"Thank  you,"  came  back  to  him  with  a  breath  be 
tween  the  words.  Hugh  met  her  at  the  bottom  of  the 
steps.  She  rushed  recklessly  toward  him  and  cried, 

"Oh,  you  don't  know  how  glad  I  am  to  see  you. 
Where  have  you  been,  Hugh  Ridgeway " 

"Sh!  Ridge  without  the  'way.'  For  Heaven's  sake, 
don't  forget  that.  It's  every  bit  as  important  on  this 
ship  as  on  the  other.  I've  been  on  deck  for  a  look. 
Say,  are  you  all  right?  Are  you  still  glad  you're 
alive?"  He  was  holding  her  hands  and  looking  into 
her  eyes. 

"Of  course  I  am.    What  a  ridiculous  question !  None 


76  NEDRA 

but  the  good  die  young,  and  I'm  not  very  good  or 
I  wouldn't  be  running  away  with  you.  But  come, — 
take  me  on  deck.  Is  it  raining?  Why,  your  coat  is 
wet.  Hurry,  Hugh ;  I  want  to  take  a  good  look,"  she 
cried,  dragging  him  up  the  steps  hilariously.  A  pe 
culiar  smile  came  to  his  face  as  he  followed  her  to 
the  deck. 

Neither  spoke  for  a  full  minute,  she  gazing  dumbly 
at  the  bleak  waste  before  her,  he  lovingly  at  her 
pretty,  bewildered  face. 

"Where  are  we,  Hugh?"  she  finally  asked,  terrified 
for  the  moment.  "Where  is  London?" 

"You  are  not  afraid,  are  you,  dearest?"  he  whis 
pered,  his  strong  arm  stealing  about  her.  "We  are  on 
the  bounding  main,  ticketed  for  a  port  thousands  of 
miles  away.  London  is  back  there,"  pointing  astern. 

She  placed  her  hand  in  his  and  looked  out  over  the 
waters.  Nothing  but  rain,  leaden  sky  and  rolling 
waves.  What  her  thoughts  were  during  the  silence 
that  followed  he  learned  when  she  turned  to  him  again, 
looking  imploringly  into  his  eyes. 

"Hugh,  you  will  always  be  good  to  me?" 

"So  long  as  I  live,  sweetheart,"  he  said,  pressing  her 
hand  firmly.  For  some  time  they  stood  alone  and 
silent  beneath  the  awning  which  covered  the  prom 
enade,  the  sleety  rain  pattering  dismally  over  their 
heads.  But  few  of  the  passengers  were  above  deck. 
Several  officers  were  chatting  at  the  end  of  the  deck 
house. 

"We  have  not  breakfasted  yet,  Grace,  and  I'm  as 


MR.   AND   MISS   RIDGE   SAIL        77 

hungry  as  a  bear.  Isn't  it  a  relief,  dear,  not  to  feel 
the  necessity  any  longer  of  keeping  a  sharp  lookout 
for  detectives?  Those  days  on  the  Atlantic,  every 
other  man  I  met  I  thought  was  a  sleuth-hound  bent 
on  capturing  the  million-dollar  reward  that  has  been 
offered  for  our  capture  by  Chicago  society." 

They  went  below  and  found  the  dining  saloon  almost 
deserted.  Two  or  three  late  risers  were  drinking  a 
last  cup  of  coffee.  Then  she  told  him  of  the  mistake 
she  had  made,  and  together  they  scanned  their  fellow- 
passengers  in  search  of  the  man  who  occupied  the 
stateroom  adjoining  hers  on  the  left.  He  did  not 
appear  for  luncheon  or  dinner,  and  Hugh  cheerfully 
accused  her  of  murdering  him. 

The  next  morning,  however,  he  was  seated  at  the 
table,  directly  across  from  Hugh,  a  trifle  pale  and 
far  from  hungry.  He  was  making  a  brave  effort  to 
conquer  the  sickness  which  had  seized  him.  She 
nudged  Hugh  and  nodded  toward  the  quiet,  subdued 
eater.  He  looked  across  and  then  gave  her  a  ques 
tioning  glance.  She  winked  affirmatively. 

"Poor  devil,"  muttered  Hugh.  "I  suppose  he  was 
just  beginning  to  feel  sick  when  you  yanked  him  out, 
as  if  you  were  telling  him  the  boat  was  on  fire." 

"Yanked  him  out?  I  did  nothing  but  rap  on  his 
door.  If  he  were  sick,  why  did  he  open  it  and  stare 
at  me  in  such  a  remarkably  healthy  fashion?" 

"Because  you  rapped,  I  suspect.  It's  no  wonder 
that  he  stared  at  a  beautiful  young  lady  who  had 
the  temerity  to  visit  him  before  breakfast.  Nice- 


78  NEDRA 

looking  fellow,  though,  I'll  say  that  much  for  your 
sake,  sister.  And  what's  more,  I  believe  he's  an  Ameri 
can,"  said  Hugh,  surveying  the  stranger  critically. 

"I  haven't  observed  his  face,"  she  responded  curtly. 

"How  did  you  happen  to  recognize  him?  By  his 
shoes?  You  naturally  looked  down  when  you  saw 
your  mistake,  of  course,  but  I  don't  see  how  you  can 
get  a  glance  of  his  shoes  now,  under  the  table." 

"I  mean  I  have  not  noticed  whether  his  face  is  hand 
some,  Hugh." 

"Better  take  a  look  then.  He's  particularly  good- 
looking  with  that  piece  of  beefsteak  in  his  cheek." 

Grace  glanced  slyly  at  the  man  across  the  table, 
noting  his  pale  cheeks  and  the  dark  rings  beneath  his 
eyes.  Hugh  had  misrepresented  the  facts ;  he  was  not 
eating  at  all.  Instead,  he  was  merely  toying  with  his 
fork,  making  uncertain  circles  in  the  layer  of  brown 
gravy  which  covered  the  plate,  his  cheek  resting  on 
the  other  hand,  a  faraway  look  of  distress  in  his  eyes. 
They  were  directed  at  the  plate,  but  saw  it  not. 

"Poor  fellow,"  she  murmured  compassionately ;  "he's 
been  awfully  sick,  hasn't  he?" 

"Oh,  I  don't  know,"  said  Hugh  heartlessly.  "They 
don't  go  to  eating  in  a  day's  time  if  they  have  been 
very  sick." 

A  bright  look  flashed  into  her  eyes  and  they  danced 
with  merriment  as  she  whispered  something  in  his 
ear. 

"By  George,  maybe  you're  right.  He's  a  detective 
and  chasing  us  to  earth." 


MR.   AND   MISS   RIDGE   SAIL        79 

The  stranger  looked  at  them  in  a  half  interested  man 
ner  when  they  laughed  aloud  over  the  harrowing  sup 
position.  They  noticed  that  his  eyes  were  blue  and 
bloodshot,  wan  and  fatigued.  He  gave  Grace  a  sec 
ond  glance,  sharper  than  the  first,  and  politely 
resumed  his  manufacture  of  circles  in  the  brown 
gravy  and  brown  study.  Miss  Vernon  flushed 
slightly. 

As  they  left  the  table  she  said  to  Hugh: 

"He  remembers  me,  but  he  certainly  understands  it 
was  a  mistake,  doesn't  he?"  Hugh  looked  at  her 
distressed  face  and  laughed. 

The  weather  later  that  morning  was  a  delightful 
surprise  for  all.  The  sky  had  resumed  its  blue  and 
the  air  was  fresh  and  clear.  Notwithstanding  the 
pleasant  weather,  there  was  a  heavy  sea  running,  the 
ship  rolling  uncomfortably  for  those  who  were  poor 
sailors.  Deck  chairs  on  all  sides  were  occupied  by 
persons  who  had  heroically  determined  to  make  the 
most  of  the  brightness  about  them. 

The  elopers  found  their  chairs  and  joined  the  long 
line  of  spectators.  Hugh  glanced  admiringly  at 
Grace  now  and  then.  Her  cheeks  were  warm  and 
glowing,  her  eyes  were  bright  and  flashing  with  ex 
citement,  her  whole  being  seemed  charged  with  anima 
tion. 

The  wan-faced  stranger  followed  them  on  deck  a 
few  minutes  later.  His  eyes  were  riveted  on  a  chair 
nearby  and  his  long  body  moved  swiftly  toward  it. 
Then  came  a  deep  roll,  the  deck  seemed  to  throw  itself 


80  NEDRA 

in  the  air,  and,  with  a  startled  look,  he  plunged  head 
long  toward  Miss  Vernon's  chair. 

His  knee  struck  the  chair,  but  he  managed  to  throw 
his  body  to  one  side.  He  went  driving  against  the 
deck-house,  sinking  in  a  heap.  Miss  Vernon  gave 
a  little  shriek  of  alarm  and  pity,  and  Ridgeway 
sprang  to  the  side  of  the  fallen  man,  assisting  him 
to  his  feet.  The  stranger's  face  was  drawn  with  mo 
mentary  pain  and  his  eyes  were  dazed. 

"Pardon  me,"  he  murmured.  "I  am  so  very  awk 
ward.  Have  I  hurt  you?" 

"Not  in  the  least,"  cried  she.  "But  I  am  afraid 
you  are  hurt.  See !  There  is  blood  on  your  fore 
head."  She  instantly  extended  her  handkerchief,  and 
he  accepted  it  in  a  bewildered  sort  of  a  way,  placing 
it  to  his  forehead,  where  a  tiny  stream  of  blood  was 
showing  itself. 

"A  piece  of  court  plaster  will  stop  the  flow,"  said 
Hugh  critically,  and  at  once  produced  the  article 
from  his  capacious  pocket-book.  Grace  immediately 
appropriated  it  and  asked  for  his  knife. 

"You  are  very  good,"  said  the  stranger,  again  press 
ing  the  handkerchief  to  his  head.  The  act  revealed 
to  him  the  fact  that  he  was  using  her  handkerchief  for 
the  purpose,  soiling  it,  perhaps.  His  face  flushed 
deeply  and  an  embarrassed  gleam  came  to  his  eyes. 
"Why,  I  am  using  your  handkerchief.  I  assure  you 
I  did  not  know  what  I  was  doing  when  I  took  it  from 
you.  Have  I  ruined  it?" 

Miss  Vernon  laughed  at  his  concern  and  her  face 


MR.   AND   MISS   RIDGE   SAIL        81 

brightened  considerably.  As  she  looked  into  his  clear 
blue  eyes  and  his  square,  firm  face  she  observed  for 
the  first  time  that  he  was  quite  a  handsome  fellow. 

"It  won't  soil  it  at  all,"  she  said. 

"But  it  was  thoughtless,  even  rude  of  me,  to  take 
yours  when  I  had  my  own.  I  am  so  sorry." 

"Do  you  think  this  will  be  large  enough,  Hugh?" 
she  asked,  holding  up  a  piece  of  black  court  plaster. 
The  stranger  laughed. 

"If  the  cut  is  as  big  as  that  I'd  better  consult  a 
surgeon,"  he  said.  "About  one-tenth  of  that,  I  should 
say." 

"All  right,"  she  said  cheerfully.  "It  is  your 
wound." 

"But  you  are  the  doctor,"  he  protested. 

"I  dare  say  it  is  too  big  to  look  well.  People  might 
think  you  were  dynamited.  Does  it  pain  you?"  she 
asked  solicitously.  For  an  instant  their  eyes  looked 
steadily,  unwaveringly,  into  each  other, — one  of 
those  odd,  involuntary  searches  which  no  one  can 
explain  and  which  never  happen  but  once  to  the 
same  people. 

"Not  at  all,"  he  replied,  glancing  out  over  the  tum 
bling  waves  with  a  look  which  proved  they  were 
strange  to  him.  Hugh  dashed  away  and  soon  re 
turned  with  a  glass  of  brandy,  which  the  stranger 
swallowed  meekly  and  not  very  gracefully.  Then  he 
sat  very  still  while  Grace  applied  the  court-plaster  to 
the  little  gash  at  the  apex  of  a  rapidly  rising  lamp. 

"Thank  you,"  he  said.     "You  are  awfully  good  to 


82  NEDRA 

a  clumsy  wretch  who  might  have  crushed  you.  I  shall 
endeavor  to  repay  you  both  for  your  kindness."  He 
started  to  arise  from  Hugh's  chair,  but  that  gentle 
man  pushed  him  back. 

"Keep  the  chair  until  you  get  straightened  out  a 
bit.  I'll  show  you  how  to  walk  deck  in  a  rough  sea. 
But  pardon  me,  you  are  an  American  like  ourselves, 
are  you  not?  I  am  Hugh  Ridge,  and  this  is  my  sister 
— Miss  Ridge." 

"My  name  is  Veath — Henry  Veath,"  the  other  said  as 
he  bowed.  "I  am  so  glad  to  meet  my  own  countrymen 
among  all  these  foreigners.  Again,  let  me  thank 
you." 

"Hardly  a  good  sailor?"  observed  Hugh. 

"As  you  may  readily  guess." 

"It's  pretty  rough  to-day.  Are  you  going  to 
Gibraltar  and  Spain?" 

"Only  as  a  bird  of  passage.  I  am  going  out  for 
our  government.  It's  a  long  and  roundabout  way 
they've  sent  me,  but  poor  men  must  go  where  oppor 
tunity  points  the  way.  I  assure  you  this  voyage  was 
not  designed  for  my  pleasure.  However,  I  enjoyed 
a  couple  of  days  in  London." 

"An  important  mission,  I  should  say,"  ventured  Mr. 
Ridge. 

"I'm  in  the  revenue  service.  It  is  all  new  to  me,  so 
it  doesn't  matter  much  where  I  begin." 

"Where  are  you  to  be  stationed?"  asked  Hugh,  and 
something  told  him  what  the  answer  would  be  before 
it  fell  from  the  other's  lips. 

"Manila." 


CHAPTER  VI 
HENRY VEATH 

MR.  VEATH'S  abrupt  announcement  that  he  was 
bound  for  Manila  was  a  decided  shock  to  Grace,  Hugh 
escaping  because  of  his  intuitive  revelation.  After 
the  revenue  man  had  gone  below  to  lie  down  awhile 
before  luncheon  the  elopers  indulged  in  an  animated 
discussion  of  affairs  under  new  conditions. 

"Well,  we  can  make  use  of  him  after  we  get  there, 
dear,"  said  Hugh  philosophically.  "He  can  be  a  wit 
ness  and  swear  to  your  age  when  I  go  for  the  license." 

"But,  Hugh,  he  thinks  we  are  brother  and  sister, 
and  we  cannot  tell  him  anything  to  the  contrary.  It 
would  be  awfully  embarrassing  to  try  to  explain." 

"That's  so,"  mused  he.  "I  doubt  whether  we  could 
make  him  believe  that  brothers  and  sisters  marry  in 
Manila.  There's  just  one  thing  to  do." 

"It  seems  to  me  there  are  a  great  many  things  to 
do  that  we  didn't  consider  when  we  started,"  ventured 
she. 

"We  must  let  him  believe  we  are  brother  and  sister 
until  after  we  are  married.  Then  we'll  have  the 
laugh  on  him.  I  know  it's  not  very  pleasant  to  ex 
plain  your  own  joke,  or  to  tell  the  other  fellow  when 
to  laugh,  but  it  seems  to  be  the  only  way.  We  can't 


84  NEDRA 

escape  him,  you  know.  He  is  to  be  at  his  post  by  the 
twentieth  of  May." 

"After  all,  I  think  we  ought  to  be  nice  to  him.  We 
can't  put  him  off  the  boat  and  we  might  just  as  well 
be  friendly.  How  would  you  enjoy  travelling  to 
Manila  all  alone?  Just  put  yourself  in  his  place." 

"Maybe  he  thinks  he's  lucky  to  be  travelling  alone." 

"That's  very  pretty,  sir.  Would  you  rather  be  trav 
elling  alone  ?" 

"Not  at  all.  I'm  only  saying  what  he  may  think. 
The  poor  devil  may  be  married,  you  know." 

"Oh,  do  you  really  think  so?"  cried  she. 

"He  looks  a  little  subdued." 

"That's  because  he's  seasick." 

"But,  to  return  to  our  own  troubles — you  think, 
then,  we  would  better  adopt  Mr.  Veath  for  the  voyage 
and  break  the  news  to  him  impressively  after  the  deed 
is  done?" 

"I  think  so,  don't  you?  It  is  sure  to  be  embarrass 
ing,  any  way  you  put  it,  isn't  it?"  she  asked,  laugh 
ing  nervously. 

"Oh,  I  don't  know,"  he  replied  airily.  "People  of 
our  nerve  should  not  be  embarrassed  by  anything  on 
earth."  He  arose  and  assisted  her  to  her  feet.  Then, 
slipping  his  arm  through  hers,  he  started  for  the 
companionway.  "The  prospect  of  being  brother  and 
sister  for  ten  thousand  miles  is  rather  obnoxious  to 
me,"  he  went  on.  She  looked  at  him  in  surprise  and 
then  blushed  faintly.  As  they  descended  the  steps, 
he  put  his  arm  around  her  shoulder.  At  the  bottom 


HENRY    VEATH  85 

he  stopped  and  glanced  around  apprehensively,  some 
thing  like  alarm  appearing  in  his  face.  His  arm 
slipped  from  her  shoulder  to  her  waist  and  contracted 
suddenly. 

"What  is  the  matter,  Hugh?"  she  whispered,  looking 
quickly  about  as  if  expecting  a  calamity. 

"Is  any  one  in  sight?"  he  demanded  anxiously. 

"I  don't  see  a  soul,"  she  answered. 

"Then  I'm  going  to  give  up  the  brother  act  for  a 
moment  or  two.  This  is  a  good,  sequestered  spot, 
and  I'm  going  to  kiss  you."  And  he  did  so  more  than 
once.  "That's  the  first  chance  I've  had  to  kiss  you 
since  we  came  aboard.  What  an  outrage  it  is  that 
brothers  cannot  be  more  attentive  to  their  own  sisters 
than  to  other  men's  sisters." 

"It  seems  to  be  customary  for  brothers  to  neglect 
their  sisters,"  she  suggested  demurely. 

"A  brother  who  neglects  his  sister  ought  to  be  horse 
whipped,"  declared  he. 

"Amen  to  that.  They  use  the  cat-o'-nine-tails  on 
board  ship,  you  must  remember,"  she  said,  smiling. 

Shortly  afterward  he  dropped  in  to  see  Veath  and 
was  welcomed  gladly.  He  was  lying  in  his  berth,  and 
Hugh  sent  for  a  bottle  of  his  champagne.  Two 
glasses  of  the  wine  put  new  life  into  him  and  some 
thing  of  a  sparkle  flew  to  his  dull  eyes,  as  if  cast 
there  by  the  bubbling  liquor.  His  tongue  loosened  a 
little,  Hugh  finding  him  to  be  a  bright,  sensible  fellow, 
somewhat  ignorant  of  the  ways  of  the  world,  but 
entirely  capable  of  taking  care  of  himself.  More- 


86  NEDRA 

over,  with  the  renewed  vigor  displaying  itself,  he  was 
far  better  looking  than  his  new  acquaintance  had 
thought.  His  blue  eyes,  keen  and  clear,  appealed 
to  Hugh's  love  for  straightforwardness ;  his  wide 
mouth  bespoke  firmness,  good  nature,  and  the  full 
ability  to  enjoy  the  humorous  side  of  things.  The 
lines  about  his  clean-cut,  beardless  face  were  a  trifle 
deep,  and  there  was  a  network  of  those  tiny  wrinkles 
which  belong  to  men  of  forty-five  and  not  to  those  of 
twenty-eight. 

Evidently  his  had  not  been  a  life  of  leisure.  As  he 
lounged  easily  upon  the  edge  of  the  berth,  Hugh 
could  not  but  admire  his  long,  straight  figure,  the 
broad  shoulders  and  the  pale  face  with  its  tense  ear 
nestness. 

"Manila,  you  know,  is  an  important  post  these 
days,"  said  Veath.  "There's  a  lot  of  work  to  be  done 
there  in  the  next  few  years.  I'm  from  Indiana.  Every 
able-bodied  man  in  our  district  who  voted  right  and 
hasn't  anything  else  to  do  wants  a  government  job. 
Of  course,  most  of  them  want  to  be  consul-generals, 
postmasters,  or  heads  of  bureaus,  but  there  are  some 
of  us  who  will  take  the  best  thing  that  is  offered. 
That's  why  I  am  going  to  Manila.  Politics,  you 
know,  and  my  uncle's  influence  with  the  administra 
tion."  Ridgeway  observed  that  wine  made  loquacious 
a  man  who  was  naturally  conservative.  "Where  are 
you  going?"  he  continued. 

"We  are  going  to  Manila." 

"What !"  gasped  Veath.     "You  don't  mean  it !" 


HENRY    VEATH  87 

"Certainly.  Why  not?"  and  Hugh  smiled  delight 
edly  over  the  sensation  he  had  created. 

"Why — why,  it  seems  improbable,"  stammered 
Veath.  "I  had  looked  upon  Manila  as  the  most 
wretched  hole  in  the  world,  and  yet  I  find  you  going 
there,  evidently  from  choice." 

"Well,  you'll  have  to  change  your  opinion  now,"  said 
Hugh. 

"I  do — forthwith.  It  cannot  be  such  a  bad 
place  or  you  wouldn't  be  taking  your  sister 
there.  May  I  ask  what  is  your  object  in  going  to 
Manila?" 

Hugh  turned  red  in  the  face  and  stooped  over  to 
flick  an  imaginary  particle  of  dust  from  his  trousers' 
leg.  There  was  but  one  object  in  their  going  and 
he  had  not  dreamed  of  being  asked  what  it  was.  He 
could  not  be  employed  forever  in  brushing  away  that 
speck,  and  yet  he  could  not,  to  save  his  life,  construct 
an  answer  to  Veath's  question.  In  the  midst  of  his 
despair  a  sudden  resolution  came,  and  he  looked  up, 
his  lips  twitching  with  suppressed  laughter. 

"We  are  going  as  missionaries." 

He  almost  laughed  aloud  at  the  expression  on 
Veath's  face.  It  revealed  the  utmost  dismay.  There 
was  a  moment's  silence,  and  then  the  man  in  the  berth 
said  slowly : 

"Is  Miss  Ridge  a — a  missionary  also?" 

"The  very  worst  kind,"  replied  Hugh  cheerily. 

"Going  out  among  the  natives,  I  suppose?" 

"What  natives?" 


88  NEDRA 

"Why, — the  Igorrotes,  or  whatever  they  are,  of 
course." 

"Oh,  of  course — to  be  sure,"  cried  Hugh  hastily. 
"I  am  so  damned  absent-minded." 

Veath  stared  in  amazement. 

"You  must  not  think  it  strange  that  I  swear,"  said 
Hugh,  mopping  his  brow.  "I  am  not  the  missionary, 
you  know." 

"Oh,"  was  the  other's  simple  exclamation.  An 
other  pause  and  then,  "You  don't  mean  to  say  that 
such  a  beautiful  woman  is  going  to  waste  her  life 
among  savages?" 

"She's  got  her  head  set  on  it  and  we  think  the  only 
way  to  break  her  of  it  is  to  give  her  a  sample  of  the 
work.  I  am  going  with  her  ostensibly  to  protect,  but 
really  to  make  her  life  miserable." 

"I  rather  admire  her  devotion  to  the  church,"  said 
Veath,  still  a  trifle  dazed. 

"She's  a  great  crank  on  religion,"  admitted  Hugh. 
Then  he  could  feel  himself  turn  pale.  He  was  passing 
Grace  off  as  a  missionary,  and  thereby  placing  her 
under  restrictions  that  never  before  had  entered  into 
her  gay  life.  Veath  would  treat  her  as  if  she  were 
of  fragile  glass  and  it  would  not  be  long  until  the 
whole  boat  would  be  staring  at  the  beautiful  girl 
who  was  going  to  the  heathen.  Remorse  struck  him 
and  he  tried  to  flounder  out  of  the  position. 

"I  should  not  have  said  that  about  her  views.  You 
would  never  take  her  to  be  an  ardent  church-member, 
and  she  is  particularly  averse  to  being  called  a  mis- 


89 

sionary.  The  truth  about  the  matter  is  that  very  few 
people  home  know  about  this  move  of  hers  and  there 
is  no  one  on  ship  who  even  suspects.  She  would  not 
have  had  me  tell  it  for  the  world." 

"My  dear  Mr.  Ridge,  don't  let  that  trouble  you. 
She  shall  never  know  that  you  have  told  me  and  I 
shall  never  repeat  it.  Please  rest  assured;  her  wishes 
in  the  matter  are  most  certainly  to  be  considered 
sacred,"  cried  Veath  warmly. 

"Thanks,  old  man,"  said  Hugh,  very  much  relieved. 
"Your  hand  on  that.  I  am  not  sorry  I  told  you, 
for  I'm  sure  you  will  be  careful.  She  objects  to  the 
— the — well,  the  notoriety  of  the  thing,  you  know. 
Hates  to  be  glared  at,  questioned,  and  all  that  sort  of 
thing." 

"She  is  very  sensible  in  that  respect.  I  have  but 
little  use  for  the  people  who  parade  their  godliness." 

"That's  just  the  way  she  looks  at  it.  She  would  be 
uncomfortable  all  the  way  over  if  she  thought  that 
a  single  person  knew  of  her  intentions.  Funny  girl 
that  way." 

"If  I  were  you,  I  don't  believe  I'd  tell  any  one  else," 
said  Veath  hesitatingly. 

"That's  all  right,  Veath.  Depend  upon  me,  I'll  not 
breathe  it  to  another  soul.  It  shall  not  go  a  bit 
farther.  Grace  wants  to  go  about  the  good  work  as 
quietly  as  possible.  Still,  I  am  bound  to  make  her 
forget  the  heathen  and  return  to  America  another 
woman  altogether."  Mr.  Veath,  of  course,  did  not 
understand  the  strange  smile  that  flitted  over  his 


90  NEDRA 

companion's  face  as  he  uttered  the  last  remark.  "I'm 
glad  I  met  you,  Veath;  we'll  get  along  famousty, 
I'm  sure.  There's  no  reason  why  we  shouldn't  make 
the  voyage  a  jolly  one.  I  think  we'd  better  get  ready 
for  luncheon,"  said  Hugh,  looking  at  his  watch. 

Hugh  took  his  departure,  and  fifteen  minutes  later 
was  seated  at  one  of  the  tables  in  the  dining-room 
with  Grace  beside  him.  He  had  told  her  of  the  mis 
sionary  story  and  was  trying  to  smile  before  her  dis 
play  of  genuine  annoyance. 

"But  I  don't  want  him  to  treat  me  as  if  I  were  a 
missionary,"  she  pouted.  "What  fun  can  a  mission 
ary  have?" 

"Oho,  you  want  to  have  fun  with  him,  eh?  That's 
the  way  the  wind  blows,  is  it?  I'll  just  tell  Mr.  Veath 
that  you  pray  night  and  day,  and  that  you  don't  like 
to  be  disturbed.  What  do  you  suppose  he'd  be  if  he 
interrupted  a  woman's  prayers?"  demanded  he,  glar 
ing  at  her  half  jealously. 

"He'd  be  a  heathen  and  I  should  have  to  enlighten 
him,"  she  answered  sweetly. 

Just  then  Mr.  Veath  entered  the  saloon  and  took  a 
seat  beside  her.  She  looked  surprised,  as  did  Mr. 
Ridgcway.  They  looked  to  the  far  end  of  the  table 
and  saw  that  Veath's  original  chair  was  occupied  by 
another  man. 

"I  traded  seats  with  that  fellow,"  murmured  Veath, 
a  trifle  red  about  the  ears.  Miss  Vernon's  face  as 
sumed  a  stony  expression  for  an  instant,  but  the 
gleam  of  pure  frankness  in  his  eyes  dispelled  her  mo- 


GRACE  VERNON 


HENRY    VEATH  91 

mentarj  disapproval.  "You  don't  mind,  do  you?" 
he  asked  hastily. 

"Not  at  all,  Mr.  Veath,"  she  said,  forgetting  that 
a  moment  before  she  had  considered  him  presumptuous. 
"On  the  contrary,  I  think  it  is  so  much  nicer  to  have 
you  on  this  side  of  the  table.  We  can  talk  without 
having  everybody  in  the  room  hear  us." 

"I  have  just  heard  that  we  are  bound  for  the  same 
destination  and  we  can  certainly  speculate  among 
ourselves  as  to  the  outcome  of  our  individual  and  col 
lective  pilgrimages.  We  can  talk  about  shipwrecks, 
pirates,  simoons,  cholera,  sea  serpents — 

"And  the  heathen,"  said  Hugh  maliciously,  but  not 
looking  up  from  his  plate. 

"Ahem !"  coughed  loyal  Mr.  Veath. 

"Are  there  any  heathen  over  there?"  asked  Miss  Ver- 
non  very  innocently  but  also  very  maliciously.  She 
smiled  at  Hugh,  who  leaned  far  back  in  his  chair 
and  winked  solemnly  at  the  bewildered  Veath.  That 
gentleman,  manlike,  interpreted  Hugh's  wink  as  the 
means  of  conveying  the  information  that  the  tactful 
young  lady  asked  the  question  merely  to  throw  him 
off  the  scent.  So  he  answered  very  politely  but  very 
carefully. 

"I  hear  there  are  more  missionaries  than  heathen." 

"Indeed?  Don't  you  think  that  the  women  who  go 
out  as  missionaries  among  those  vile  creatures  are  per 
fect  idiots,  Mr.  Veath?" 

"Well, — ahem,  ah,"  stammered  Veath,  "I  can't  say 
that  I  do.  I  think,  if  you  will  permit  me  to  disagree 


92  NEDRA 

with  you,  that  they  are  the  noblest  women  in  the 
world." 

"Excellent  sentiment,  Veath,"  said  the  merry  Ridge- 
way,  "and  quite  worthy  of  endorsement  by  this  mis 
guided  sister  of  mine.  She  despises  the  heathen,  you 
know." 

"Oh,  I  am  sure  she  does  not  despise  them,"  cried 
Veath. 

"But  I  do — I  think  they  ought  to  be  burned  alive !" 

A  dead  silence,  during  which  the  two  men  were  un 
necessarily  intent  upon  the  contents  of  their  plates, 
followed  this  explosion.  Miss  Vernon  demurely  smiled 
to  herself,  and  finally  kicked  Hugh's  foot.  He 
laughed  aloud  suddenly  and  insanely  and  then 
choked.  Veath  grew  very  red  in  the  face,  perhaps 
through  restraint.  The  conversation  from  that  mo 
ment  was  strained  until  the  close  of  the  meal,  and  they 
did  not  meet  at  all  during  dinner. 

"Perhaps  we  have  offended  him,"  said  Grace  as  they 
strolled  along  the  deck  that  evening. 

"It's  probable  that  he  thinks  we  are  blamed  fools 
and  does  not  care  to  waste  his  time  on  us." 

"Then  why  did  he  change  his  seat?" 

"Evidently  did  not  want  us  to  be  staring  him  out 
of  countenance  all  the  time.  I  notice,  sister,  that 
he  took  the  seat  next  to  yours  and  not  to  mine,"  re 
marked  he  insinuatingly. 

"Which  proves  that  he  is  no  fool,  brother,"  she 
retorted. 


CHAPTER  VII 
GLUM  DAYS  FOR  MR.  RIDGE 

GIBRALTAR.  And  the  ship  stopping  only  long  enough 
to  receive  the  mail  and  take  on  passengers ;  then  off 
again. 

During  the  voyage  in  the  Bay  of  Biscay,  Veath 
had  done  all  in  his  power  to  relieve  Hugh  of  the 
boredom  which  is  supposed  to  fall  upon  the  man  who 
has  a  sister  clinging  to  him.  At  first  Hugh  rather 
enjoyed  the  situation,  but  as  Veath's  amiable  sacri 
fice  became  more  intense,  he  grew  correspondingly  un 
comfortable.  It  was  not  precisely  what  he  had  bar 
gained  for.  There  was  nothing  in  Veath's  manner 
which  could  have  been  objectionable  to  the  most  ex 
acting  of  brothers. 

When  he  was  trespassing  Hugh  hated  him,  but  when 
they  were  together,  with  Grace  absent,  he  could  not 
but  admire  the  sunny-faced,  frank,  stalwart  Indi- 
anian.  When  Hugh's  heart  was  sorest,  a  slap  on  the 
back  from  Veath,  a  cheery  word  and  an  unspoken 
pledge  of  friendship  brought  shame  to  take  the  place 
of  resentment. 

She  was  troubled,  as  well  as  he,  by  the  turn  of  affairs ; 
her  distress  managed  to  keep  her  awake  of  nights, 
especially  when  she  began  to  realize  there  was  no 


94  NEDRA 

escape  from  consequences.  That  usually  pleasant 
word  "brother"  became  unbearable  to  her;  she  began 
to  despise  it.  To  him,  the  word  "sister"  was  the 
foundation  for  unpublishable  impressions. 

Poor  Veath  knew  nothing  of  all  this  and  continued 
to  "show  Miss  Ridge  a  good  time."  On  the  second 
night  out  of  Gibraltar,  he  and  Grace  were  strolling 
the  deck.  He  was  happy,  she  in  deep  despair.  Down 
at  the  other  end  of  the  deck-house,  leaning  over  the 
rail,  smoking  viciously,  was  Hugh,  alone,  angry, 
sulky.  It  was  a  beautiful  night,  cool  and  crisp,  calm 
and  soft.  A  rich  full  moon  threw  its  glorious  shim 
mer  across  the  waves,  flashing  a  million  silvery  blades 
along  the  watery  pavement  that  seemed  to  lead  to  the 
end  of  the  world.  Scores  of  passengers  were  walking 
the  deck,  and  all  were  happy,  save  two. 

For  two  days  Hugh  had  found  but  little  chance  to 
speak  with  Grace.  She  had  plotted  and  calculated 
and  so  had  he,  but  Veath  gallantly  upset  the  plans. 

"This  can't  go  on  any  longer,  or  I'll  go  back," 
vowed  Hugh  as  he  glared  with  gloomy  eyes  at  the 
innocent  path  of  silver. 

"Your  brother  is  not  very  sociable  of  late,  is  he, 
Miss  Ridge?"  asked  Veath,  as  they  turned  once  more 
up  the  deck  toward  the  disconsolate  relative.  "There 
are  a  great  many  pretty  young  women  on  board,  but 
he  seems  to  ignore  them  completely.  I  haven't  seen 
him  speak  to  a  woman  in  two  days." 

"Perhaps  he  is  in  love,"  she  murmured  half  sedately. 
Poor,  lonely  Hugh !  How  she  longed  to  steal  up  from 


GLUM   DAYS   FOR   MR.    RIDGE      95 

behind  and  throw  her  arms  about  his  neek.  Even 
though  both  fell  overboard,  it  would  be  a  pleasure,  it 
seemed  to  her. 

"We  ought  to  go  over  and  jolly  him  up  a  bit,"  sug 
gested  Veath,  innocently  magnanimous.  She  hated 
him  at  that  moment. 

"He  is  probably  enjoying  himself  better  than  if  we 
were  with  him,"  she  said  rather  coldly. 

"Lovers  usually  like  moonshine,"  he  said. 

"I  did  not  say  he  was  in  love ;  'perhaps'  was  the  word, 
I  think,"  said  Grace. 

"I  believe  one  of  the  rules  of  love  is  that  a  brother 
never  confides  in  his  sister.  At  any  rate,  she  is  sure 
to  be  among  the  last." 

"I  think  Hugh  would  tell  me  of  his  love  affairs,"  she 
answered,  a  merry  sparkle  coming  into  her  eyes.  "He 
thinks  a  great  deal  of  my  opinions." 

"And  I  suppose  you  tell  him  of  your  love  affairs,'* 
he  said  jestingly.  She  blushed  furiously. 

"He  has  a  whole  book  full  of  my  confidences,"  she 
finally  said,  seeking  safety  in  exaggeration. 

"Quite  an  interesting  volume.  How  does  it  end? 
With  an  elopement?" 

"Elopement!  What  do  you — oh,  ah,  I — ha,  ha! 
Wouldn't  that  be  a  jolly  way  to  end  it?"  She  laughed 
hysterically,  recovering  quickly  from  the  effects  of 
the  startling,  though  careless  question.  For  a  few 
moments  her  heart  throbbed  violently. 

Hugh  came  swinging  toward  them,  his  cigar  tilted 
upward  at  an  unusual  angle  because  of  the  savage 


96  NEDRA 

position  of  the  lower  jaw.  His  hands  were  jammed 
into  his  pockets  and  his  cap  was  drawn  well  down 
over  his  eyes.  He  was  passing  without  a  word,  ig 
noring  them  more  completely  than  if  they  had  been 
total  strangers.  He  would,  at  least,  have  glanced 
at  strangers. 

"Hello,  Mr.  Ridge,  going  below?"  called  Veath. 

"I'm  going  wherever  the  ship  goes,"  came  the  sullen 
reply. 

"Hope  she's  not  going  below,"  laughed  the  dis 
turber. 

"It's  my  only  hope,"  was  the  bitter  retort  from 
the  companionway. 

"He's  certainly  in  love,  Miss  Ridge.  Men  don't 
have  the  blues  like  that  unless  there's  a  woman  in  the 
case.  I  think  you'd  better  talk  to  your  brother.  Tell 
him  she'll  be  true,  and  if  she  isn't,  convince  him 
that  there  are  just  as  good  fish  in  the  sea.  Poor 
fellow,  I  suppose  he  thinks  she's  the  only  woman 
on  earth,"  commented  Mr.  Veath,  with  mock  sol 
emnity. 

"She  may  be  as  much  at  sea  as  he,"  she  said, — 
and  very  truthfully. 

"Well,  if  love  dies,  there  is  a  consolation  in  knowing 
that  the  sea  casts  up  its  dead,"  was  his  sage,  though 
ill-timed  remark. 

Grace  slept  but  little  that  night,  and  went  early  to 
breakfast  in  the  hope  that  she  might  see  Hugh  alone. 
But  he  came  in  late,  haggard  and  pale,  living  evi 
dence  of  a  sleepless  night.  Veath  was  with  him  and 


GLUM   DAYS   FOR   MR.   RIDGE      97 

her  heart  sank.  During  the  meal  the  good-natured 
Indianian  did  most  of  the  talking,  being  driven  at 
last,  by  the  strange  reticence  of  his  companions,  to 
the  narration  of  a  series  of  personal  experiences. 
Struggle  as  he  would,  he  could  not  bring  a  mirthful 
laugh  from  the  girl  beside  him,  nor  from  the  sour- 
visaged  man  beyond.  They  laughed,  of  course,  but 
it  was  the  laugh  of  politeness. 

"I  wonder  if  she  is  in  love,  too,"  shot  through  his 
mind,  and  a  thrill  of  regret  grew  out  of  the  possi 
bility.  Once  his  eye  caught  her  in  the  act  of  press 
ing  Hugh's  hand  as  it  was  being  withdrawn  from 
sight.  With  a  knowing  smile  he  bent  close  to  her 
and  whispered :  "That's  right,  cheer  him  up !"  Grace 
admitted  afterward  that  nothing  had  ever  made  her 
quite  so  furious  as  that  friendly  expression. 

But  jealousy  is  jealousy.  It  will  not  down.  The 
next  three  days  were  miserable  ones  for  Hugh.  The 
green-eyed  monster  again  cast  the  cloak  of  moroseness 
over  him — swathed  him  in  the  inevitable  wet  blanket, 
as  it  were.  During  the  first  two  days  Veath  had  per 
formed  a  hundred  little  acts  of  gallantry  which  fall 
to  the  lot  of  a  lover  but  hardly  to  that  of  a  brother 
— a  score  of  things  that  would  not  have  been  ob 
served  by  the  latter,  but  which  were  inwardly  cursed 
by  the  lover.  Hugh  began  to  have  the  unreasonable 
fear  that  she  cared  more  for  Veath's  society  than 
she  did  for  his.  He  was  in  ugly  humor  at  lunch  time 
and  sent  a  rather  peremptory  message  to  Grace's 
room,  telling  her  that  he  was  hungry  and  asking  her 


98  NEDRA 

to  get  ready  at  once.  The  steward  brought  back 
word  that  she  was  not  in  her  room.  She  had  been 
out  since  ten  o'clock. 

Without  a  word  Ridgeway  bolted  to  Veath's  room 
and  knocked  at  the  door.  There  was  no  response. 
The  steward,  quite  a  distance  down  the  passageway, 
heard  the  American  gentleman  swear  distinctly  and 
impressively. 

He  ate  his  luncheon  alone, — disconsolate,  furious, 
miserable.  Afterward  he  sought  recreation  and  finally 
went  to  his  room,  where  he  tried  to  read.  Even  that 
was  impossible. 

Some  time  later  he  heard  her  voice,  then  Veath's. 

"I  wonder  if  Hugh  is  in  his  room?"  she  was  asking. 

"He  probably  thinks  we've  taken  a  boat  and  eloped. 
Shall  I  rap  and  see?"  came  in  Veath's  free  voice. 

"Please — and  we'll  tell  him  where  we  have  been." 

"You  will  like  thunder!"  hissed  Hugh  to  himself, 
glaring  at  the  door  as  if  he  could  demolish  it. 

Then  came  a  vigorous  pounding  on  the  panel;  but 
he  made  no  move  to  respond.  Again  the  knocking  and 
a  smile,  not  of  mirth,  overspread  his  face. 

"Knock !  Confound  you !  You  can't  get  in  !"  he 
growled  softly  but  triumphantly.  Veath  tried  the 
knob,  but  the  door  was  locked. 

"He's  not  in,  Miss  Ridge.  I'll  see  if  I  can  find  him. 
Good-by — see  you  at  luncheon." 

Then  came  Grace's  voice,  sweet  and  untroubled : 
"  "Tell  him  we'll  go  over  the  ship  another  time  with 
him." 


GLUM   DAYS   FOR   MR.   RIDGE      99 

"Over  the  ship,"  growled  Hugh  almost  loud  enough 
to  be  heard.  "So  they're  going  to  square  it  by  taking 
brother  with  them  another  time — eh?  Well,  not  if 
I  know  it !  I'll  show  her  what's  what !"  A  minute 
later  he  rapped  at  Miss  Vernon's  stateroom.  She  was 
removing  her  hat  before  the  mirror,  and  turning 
quickly  as  the  irate  Hugh  entered,  she  cried: 

"Hello,  Hugh!     Where  have  you  been,  dear?" 

"Dear !    Don't  call  me  dear,"  he  rasped. 

"Why,  Hugh,  dear, — Mr.  Veath  looked  everywhere 
for  you  this  morning.  I  said  I  would  not  go  unless 
he  could  find  you.  You  would  have  enjoyed  it  so 
much." 

"And  you  really  wanted  me?"  he  asked  guiltily. 

"Of  course,  I  did — we  both  did.  Won't  you  ever 
understand  that  I  love  you — and  you  alone?" 

"I  guess  I'll  never  understand  love  at  all,"  he 
mused. 

"Now  where  were  you  all  morning?"  she  demanded. 

"He  didn't  look  in  the  right  place,  that's  all." 

"Where  was  the  right  place?" 

"It  happened  to  be  in  the  wrong  place,"  he  said.  He 
had  been  playing  a  social  game  of  bridge  in  the  room 
of  one  of  the  passengers.  At  this  moment  Veath  was 
heard  at  the  door.  Hugh  heartily  called  out  to  him, 
bidding  him  to  enter. 

"Why,  here  you  are !  Been  looking  everywhere  for 
you,  old  man.  Sorry  you  were  not  along  this  morn 
ing,"  said  the  newcomer,  shaking  Ridgeway's  hand. 

"I  didn't  care  to  see  the  ship,"  said  Hugh  hastily. 


100  NEDRA 

"Why,  how  funny!"  cried  Grace.  "How  did  you 
know  we  had  been  over  the  ship  ?" 

"Instinct,"  he  managed  to  gulp  in  the  confusion. 

Veath  started  for  the  dining-room,  followed  by 
Grace  and  Hugh,  the  latter  refraining  from  men 
tioning  that  he  had  already  lunched — insufficiently 
though  it  had  been ;  but  with  the  return  of  reason  had 
come  back  his  appetite  and  gradually  he  felt  the  old 
happiness  sifting  into  his  heart. 


CHAPTER  VIII 
THE  BEAUTIFUL  STRANGER 

THEY  were  now  well  along  in  the  Mediterranean. 
The  air  was  cool  and  crisp,  yet  there  were  dozens  of 
people  on  deck  watching  the  sunset  and  the  sailors 
who  were  trimming  the  ship.  There  were  passengers 
on  board  for  China,  Japan,  India  and  Australia.  A 
half  hundred  soldiers,  returning  to  the  East,  after  a 
long  furlough  at  home,  made  the  ship  lively.  They 
were  under  loose  discipline  and  were  inclined  to  be 
hilarious.  A  number  were  forward  now,  singing  the 
battle  songs  of  the  British  and  the  weird  ones  of  the 
natives.  Quite  a  crowd  had  collected  to  listen,  in 
cluding  Ridgeway  and  Veath,  who  were  strolling 
along  the  deck,  arm  in  arm,  enjoying  an  after-dinner 
smoke,  and  had  paused  in  their  walk  near  the  group, 
enjoying  the  robust,  devil-may-care  tones  of  the  gal 
lant  subalterns. 

Miss  Vernon  was  in  her  stateroom  trying  to  jot  down 
in  a  newly  opened  diary  the  events  of  the  past  ten 
days.  She  was  up  to  ears  in  the  work,  and  was  almost 
overcome  by  its  enthusiasm.  It  was  to  be  a  surprise 
for  Hugh  at  some  distant  day,  when  she  could  have  it 
printed  and  bound  for  him  alone.  There  was  to  be 
but  one  copy  printed,  positively,  and  it  was  to  be- 


102  NEDRA 

long  to  Hugh.  Her  lover  as  he  strode  the  deck  was 
unconscious  of  the  task  unto  which  she  had  bent  her 
energy.  He  knew  nothing  of  the  unheard-of  intrica 
cies  in  punctuation,  spelling  and  phraseology.  She  was 
forced  at  one  time  to  write  Med  and  a  dash,  declaring, 
in  chagrin,  that  she  would  add  the  remainder  of  the 
word  when  she  could  get  to  a  place  where  a  dictionary 
might  tell  her  whether  it  was  spelled  Mediterranean 
or  or  Mediteranian. 

Suddenly,  Hugh  pressed  Veath's  arm  a  little  closer. 

"Look  over  there  near  the  rail.  There's  the  pret 
tiest  girl  I've  ever  seen !" 

"Where?" 

"Can't  point,  because  she's  looking  this  way.  Girl 
with  a  dark  green  coat,  leaning  on  an  old  gentleman's 
arm — 

"I  see,"  interrupted  Veath.  "By  George !  she's 
pretty !" 

"No  name  for  it !  Have  you  in  your  life  ever  seen 
anything  so  beautiful?"  cried  Ridgeway.  He  stared 
at  her  so  intently  that  she  averted  her  face.  "Won 
der  who  she  can  be?  The  old  man  must  be  her 
father.  Strange  we  haven't  seen  them  before.  I'm 
sure  that  she  hasn't  been  on  deck." 

"You  seem  interested — do  you  want  a  flirta 
tion?" 

"Oh,  Grace  wouldn't  stand  for  that — not  for  a 
minute." 

"I  don't  believe  she  would  object  if  you  carried 
it  on  skilfully,"  smiled  the  other. 


THE  BEAUTIFUL  STRANGER     103 

"It  wouldn't  be  right,  no  matter  how  harmless.  I 
couldn't  think  of  being  so  confoundedly  brutal." 

"Sisters  don't  usually  take  such  things  to  heart." 

Hugh  came  to  himself  with  a  start  and  for  a  mo 
ment  or  two  could  find  no  word  of  response,  so  deeply 
engrossed  was  he  in  the  effort  to  remember  whether 
he  had  said  anything  that  might  have  betrayed  his 
secret. 

"Oh,"  he  laughed  awkwardly,  "you  don't  under 
stand  me.  Grace  is  so — well,  so — conscientious,  that 
if  she  thought  I  was — er — trifling,  you  know,  with  a 
girl,  she'd — she'd  have  a  fit.  Funniest  girl  you  ever 
saw  about  those  things — perfect  paragon." 

"Is  it  possible?  Are  you  not  a  little  strong  on  that 
point,  old  man?  I'm  afraid  you  don't  know  your 
sister  any  better  than  other  men  know  theirs." 

"What's  that?"  demanded  Hugh,  suddenly  alert  and 
forgetful  of  the  stranger. 

"The  last  person  on  earth  that  a  man  gets  ac 
quainted  with,  I've  heard,  is  his  sister,"  said  Veath 
calmly.  "Go  ahead  and  have  a  good  time,  old  fel 
low  ;  your  sister  isn't  so  exacting  as  you  think — 
take  my  word  for  it." 

It  was  fully  five  minutes  before  Hugh  could  extract 
himself  from  the  slough  of  speculation  into  which 
those  thoughtless  words  had  driven  him.  What  did 
Veath  know  about  her  ideas  on  such  matters?  Where 
did  he  learn  so  much?  The  other  spoke  to  him  twice 
and  received  no  answer.  Finally  he  shook  his  arm 
and  said: 


104  NEDRA 

"Must  be  love  at  first  sight,  Ridge.  Are  you  spell 
bound?"  Hugh  merely  glared  at  him  and  he  con 
tinued  imperturbably :  "She's  pretty  beyond  a  doubt. 
I'll  have  to  find  out  who  she  is." 

"That's  right,  Veath ;  find  out,"  cried  Hugh,  bright 
in  an  instant.  "Make  her  have  a  good  time.  Poor 
thing,  she'll  find  it  pretty  dull  if  she  hangs  to  her 
father  all  the  time." 

"He  isn't  a  very  amusing-looking  old  chap,  is  he? 
If  that  man  hasn't  the  gout  and  half  a  dozen  other 
troubles  I'll  jump  overboard." 

The  couple  arousing  the  interest  of  the  young  men 
stood  near  the  forward  end  of  the  deck-house.  The 
young  woman's  face  was  beaming  with  an  inspira 
tion  awakened  by  the  singers.  Her  companion,  tall, 
gray  and  unimpressionable,  listened  as  if  through  co 
ercion  and  not  for  pleasure.  His  lean  face,  red  with 
apoplectic  hues,  grim  with  the  wrinkles  of  three 
score  years  or  more,  showed  clear  signs  of  annoy 
ance.  The  thin  gray  moustache  was  impatiently 
gnawed,  first  on  one  side  and  then  on  the  other.  Then 
the  military  streak  of  gray  that  bristled  forth  as  an 
imperial  was  pushed  upward  and  between  the  lips  by 
bony  fingers.  He  was  a  picture  of  dutiful  rebellion. 
Immaculately  dressed  was  he,  and  distinguished  from 
the  soles  of  his  pointed  shoes  to  the  beak  of  his  natty 
cap.  A  light  colored  newmarket  of  the  most  fashion 
able  cut  was  buttoned  closely  about  his  thin  figure. 

The  young  woman  was  not  tall,  nor  was  she  short ; 
she  was  of  that  indefinite  height  known  as  medium. 


THE  BEAUTIFUL  STRANGER     105 

Her  long  green  coat  fitted  her  snugly  and  perfectly; 
a  cap  of  the  same  material  was  perched  j  auntily  upon 
her  dark  hair.  The  frolicking  wind  had  torn  several 
strands  from  beneath  the  cap,  and  despite  the  efforts 
of  her  gloved  fingers,  they  whipped  and  fluttered  in 
tantalizing  confusion.  In  the  dimming  afternoon  the 
Americans  could  see  that  she  was  exquisitely  beautiful. 
T»ey  could  see  the  big  dark  eyes,  almost  timid  in  the 
hiding  places  beyond  the  heavy  fringing  lashes.  Her 
dark  hair  threw  the  rich  face  into  clear  relief, — fresh, 
bright,  eager.  The  men  were  not  close  enough  to 
observe  with  minuteness  its  features,  but  its  brilliancy 
was  sufficient  to  excite  even  marvelling  admiration. 
It  was  one  of  those  faces  at  which  one  could  look  for 
ever  and  still  feel  there  was  a  charm  about  it  he  had 
not  caught. 

"I've  never  seen  such  a  face  before,"  again  mur 
mured  Ridgeway. 

"Tastes  differ,"  said  Veath.  "Now,  if  you'll  par 
don  me,  I  think  Miss  Ridge  is  the  more  beautiful. 
She  is  taller  and  has  better  style.  Besides,  I  like  fair 
women.  What  say  ?"  The  question  was  prompted  by 
the  muttered  oath  that  came  from  Hugh. 

"Nothing  at  all,"  he  almost  snarled.  "Say,  Veath, 
don't  always  be  talking  to  me  about  my  sister,"  he 
finally  jerked  out,  barely  able  to  confine  himself  to 
this  moderately  sensible  abjuration  while  his  brain  was 
seething  with  other  and  stronger  expressions. 

"I  beg  your  pardon,  Ridge;  I  did  not  know  that  I 
talked  very  much  about  her."  There  was  a  brief  si- 


1C6  NEDRA 

lence  and  then  he  continued:  "Have  a  fresh  cigar, 
old  man."  Hugh  took  the  cigar  ungraciously, 
ashamed  of  his  petulance. 

By  this  time  the  early  shades  of  night  had  begun 
to  settle  and  the  figures  along  the  deck  were  grow 
ing  faint  in  the  shadows.  Here  and  there  sailors  be 
gan  to  light  the  deck  lamps ;  many  of  the  passengers 
went  below  to  avoid  the  coming  chill.  In  her  state 
room  Grace  was  just  writing:  "For  over  a  week  we 
have  been  sailing  under  British  colors,  we  good 
Americans,  Hugh  and  I, — and  I  may  add,  Mr. 
Veath." 

Another  turn  down  the  promenade  and  back  brought 
Ridgeway  and  Veath  face  to  face  with  the  old  gentle 
man  and  the  young  lady,  who  were  on  the  point  of 
starting  below.  The  Americans  paused  to  let  them 
pass,  lifting  their  caps.  The  old  gentleman,  now 
eager  and  apparently  more  interested  in  life  and  its 
accompaniments,  touched  the  vizor  of  his  cap  in  re 
sponse,  and  the  young  lady  smiled  faintly  as  she  drew 
her  skirts  aside  and  passed  before  him. 

"Did  you  ever  see  a  smile  like  that?"  cried  Hugh, 
as  the  couple  disappeared  from  view. 

"Thousands,"  answered  his  companion.  "They're 
common  as  women  themselves.  Any  woman  has  a 
pretty  smile  when  she  wants  it." 

"You  haven't  a  grain  of  sentiment,  confound  you." 

"They  don't  teach  sentiment  on  the  farm,  and  there's 
where  I  began  this  unappreciative  existence  of  mine. 
But  I  am  able  to  think  a  lot  sometimes." 


THE  BEAUTIFUL  STRANGER     107 

"That's  about  all  a  fellow  has  to  do  on  a  farm, 
isn't  it?" 

"That  and  die,  I  believe." 

"And  get  married?" 

"Naturally,  in  order  to  think  more.  A  man  has 
to  think  for  two  after  he's  married,  you  see." 

"Quite  sarcastic  that.  You  don't  think  much  of 
women,  I  fancy." 

"Not  in  the  plural." 

Captain  Shadburn  was  nearing  them  on  the  way 
from  the  chart-house,  and  the  young  men  accosted 
him,  Veath  inquiring: 

"Captain,  who  is  the  tall  old  gentleman  you  were 
talking  to  forward  awhile  ago?" 

"That  is  Lord  Huntingford,  going  over  to 
straighten  out  some  complications  for  the  Crown.  He 
is  a  diplomat  of  the  first  water." 

"Where  are  these  complications,  may  I  ask?" 

"Oh,  in  China,  I  think.  He  is  hurrying  across  as 
fast  as  possible.  He  leaves  the  ship  at  Hong  Kong, 
and  nobody  knows  just  what  his  mission  is ;  that's 
between  him  and  the  prime  minister,  of  course.  But, 
good-evening,  gentlemen.  I  have  a  game  of  cribbage 
after  dinner  with  his  Lordship."  The  captain  hur 
ried  below. 

"A  real  live  lord,"  said  Veath.     "The  first  I've  seen." 

"China,"  Hugh  repeated.  "I  hope  we  may  get  to 
know  them." 


CHAPTER    IX 
MR.  RIDGEWAY'S  AMAZEMENT 

AT  dinner  Hugh  was  strangely  exuberant,  jesting 
gaily  and  exchanging  rare  witticisms  with  Veath,  who 
also  appeared  immensely  satisfied.  As  they  left  the 
saloon  he  said : 

"Let's  take  a  turn  on  deck,  Grace." 

"Won't  you  include  me?"  asked  Veath. 

"Certainly,"  answered  Grace  promptly. 

"Be  delighted,"  echoed  Hugh,  swallowing  as  if  it 
were  an  effort. 

"I  must  get  a  wrap,"  said  Grace.  "I  won't  delay 
you  more  than  five  minutes." 

"I'll  get  my  overcoat  and  some  cigars,"  added  Hugh. 

"And  I'll  write  a  short  letter  to  post  at  Malta," 
said  Veath,  and  they  separated. 

A  short  while  later,  a  steward  passed  Hugh's 
stateroom,  and  he  called  to  him  to  step  to  the 
next  door  and  tell  Miss  Ridge  that  he  was 
ready. 

"Miss  Ridge  just  went  up  with  her  gentleman — "  the 
man  responded;  but  Hugh  interrupted,  slamming  the 
door.  For  several  minutes  he  stood  glaring  at  the 
upper  corner  of  his  berth ;  then  he  said  something 
strong.  Every  vestige  of  his  exuberance  disappeared, 


MR.  RIDGEWAY'S  AMAZEMENT  109 

his  brow  clouded  and  his  heart  seemed  to  swell  pain 
fully  within  its  narrow  confines. 

As  he  was  about  to  ascend  the  steps  of  the  com- 
panionway,  he  heard  the  swish  of  skirts  and  then  a 
sharp  scream.  In  an  instant  he  was  half  way  up,  his 
arms  extended.  Lord  Huntingf  ord's  daughter  plunged 
into  them,  and  he  literally  carried  her  to  the  foot.  She 
was  pale  and  trembling  and  he  was  flushed.  He  had 
looked  up  in  time  to  see  her  falling  forward,  vainly 
striving  to  reach  the  hand  rail. 

"Are  you  hurt?"  he  asked  anxiously.  The  young 
lady  sat  down  upon  the  second  step  before  answering, 
a  delightful  pink  stealing  over  her  face. 

"I — I  don't  believe  I  am,"  she  said.  "My  heel 
caught  on  a  step  and  I  fell.  It  was  so  clumsy  of 
me.  I  might  have  been  badly  hurt  if  you  had  not 
caught  me  as  you  did." 

"These  steps  are  so  uncertain,"  he  said,  scowling  at 
them.  "Somebody  ''ll  get  hurt  here  some  day.  But, 
really,  are  you  quite  sure  you  are  not  hurt?  Didn't 
you  twist  your — your " 

"Ankle?  Not  in  the  least.  See!  I  can  stand  on 
both  of  them.  I  am  not  hurt  at  all.  Let  me  thank 
you,"  she  said,  smiling  into  his  eyes  as  she  moved 
away. 

"May  I  assist  you?"  he  asked  eagerly. 

"Oh,  no ;  I  thank  you,  Mr.  Veath.  I  would  not  have 
my  preserver  perform  the  office  of  a  crutch.  I  am 
not  hurt  in  the  least.  Good-afternoon." 

Hugh,  disconcerted  and  piqued  by  her  confusion  of 


110  NEDRA 

names,  answered  her  wondrous  smile  with  one  that  re 
flected  bewildered  admiration,  and  finally  managed  to 
send  after  her: 

"I  wouldn't  have  lost  the  opportunity  for  the  world." 

That  evening  he  was  sitting  out  on  deck  in  con 
templative  silence  enjoying  his  after-dinner  smoke. 
Farther  down  were  Grace  and  Veath.  Suddenly  turn 
ing  in  their  direction,  Hugh  perceived  that  they  were 
not  there;  nor  were  they  anywhere  in  sight.  He  was 
pondering  over  their  whereabouts,  his  eyes  still  on 
the  vacant  chairs,  when  a  voice  tender  and  musical  as 
sailed  his  ears — a  voice  which  he  had  heard  but  once 
before. 

"Good-evening,  Mr.  Veath." 

He  wheeled  about  and  found  himself  staring  at  the 
smiling  face  of  the  young  lady  who  had  fallen  into 
his  arms  but  a  few  hours  before. 

"Good-evening,"  he  stammered,  amazed  by  her  un 
expected  greeting.  "Have — have  you  fully  recovered 
from  your  fall?" 

"I  was  quite  over  it  in  a  moment  or  two.  I  wanted 
to  ask  you  if  you  were  hurt  by  the  force  with  which 
I  fell  against  you."  She  stood  with  one  hand  upon 
the  rail,  quite  close  to  him,  the  moonlight  playing 
upon  her  upturned  face.  He  never  had  seen  a  more 
perfect  picture  of  airy  grace  and  beauty  in  his  life. 

"Why  mention  an  impossibility?  You  could  not 
have  hurt  me  in  a  fall  ten  times  as  great." 

His  tall  figure  straightened  and  his  eyes  gleamed 
chivalrously.  The  young  woman's  dark,  m37sterious 


MR.   RIDGEWAY'S  AMAZEMENT  111 

eyes  swept  over  him  for  a  second,  resting  at  last  upon 
those  which  looked  admiringly  into  them  from  above. 
She  made  a  movement  as  if  to  pass  on,  gravely  smil 
ing  a  farewell. 

"I  beg  your  pardon,"  he  said  hastily.  "You  called 
me  Mr.  Veath  a  moment  ago.  It  may  be  of  no  con 
sequence  to  you,  yet  I  should  like  to  tell  you  that 
my  name  is  Ridge — Hugh  Ridge." 

"It  is  my  place  to  beg  forgiveness.  But  I  under 
stood  your  name  was  Veath,  and  that  you  were — 
were" — here  she  smiled  tantalizingly — "in  love  with 
the  beautiful  American,  Miss  Ridge." 

"The  dev — dick — I  mean,  the  mischief  you  didl 
Well,  of  all  the  fool  conclusions  I've  ever  heard,  that 
is  the  worst.  In  love  with  my  sister!  Ho,  ho!"  He 
laughed  rather  too  boisterously. 

"But  there  is  a  Mr.  Veath  on  board,  is  there  not? 
— a  friend?" 

"A  Mr.  Henry  Veath  going  into  the  American 
Revenue  Service  at  Manila." 

"How  stupid  of  me !  However,  I  am  positive  that 
I  was  told  it  was  Mr.  Veath  who  was  in  love  with  Miss 
Ridge." 

"But  he  isn't,"  hastily  cried  Hugh,  turning  hot  and 
cold  by  turns.  "He's  just  a  friend.  She — she  is  to 
marry  another  chap."  Here  he  gulped  painfully. 
"But  please  don't  breathe  it  to  a  soul.  She'd  hate 
me  forever.  Can  I  trust  you?"  To  himself,  he  was 
saying :  "I  am  making  a  devil  of  a  mess  of  this  elope 
ment." 


112  NEDRA 

"This  is  a  very  large  world,  Mr.  Ridge,  and  this 
voyage  is  a  mere  trifle  in  time.  When  we  leave  the 
ship  we  may  be  parting  forever,  so  1  er  secret  would  be 
safe,  even  though  I  shrieked  it  all  over  the  East.  You 
will  return  to  America  before  long,  I  presume?" 

"I'm  sure  I  don't  know.  We  may  stay  a  year  or 
so." 

"Then  the  wedding  is  not  a  thing  of  the  immediate 
future?" 

"Oh,  yes — that  is,  I  mean,  certainly  not." 

"Pardon  me  for  asking  so  many  questions.  It  is 
very  rude  of  me."  She  said  it  so  penitently  that 
Hugh,  unable  to  find  words,  could  only  wave  his 
hands  in  deprecation.  "Isn't  it  a  perfect  evening?" 
she  went  on,  turning  to  the  sea.  The  light  breeze  blew 
the  straying  raven  hair  away  from  her  temples,  leav 
ing  the  face  clearly  chiselled  out  of  the  night's  inki- 
ness.  Hugh's  heart  thumped  strangely  as  he  noted 
her  evident  intention  to  remain  on  deck.  She  turned  to 
him  swiftly  and  he  averted  his  eyes,  but  not  quickly 
enough  to  prevent  her  seeing  that  he  had  been  scru 
tinizing  her  intently.  What  she  may  have  intended  to 
say  was  never  uttered.  Instead,  she  observed,  a  trifle 
coldly : 

"I  must  bid  you  good-night,  Mr.  Ridge." 

"Pray,  not  yet,"  he  cried;  "I  was  just  about  to  ask 
if  we  might  not  sit  in  these  chairs  here  for  a  little 
while.  It  is  early  and  it  is  so  charming  to-night." 
He  looked  into  her  eyes  again  and  found  that  she  was 
gazing  searchingly  into  his.  A  light  smile  broke  into 


MR.  RIDGEWAY'S  AMAZEMENT  113 

life  and  she  seemed  to  be  satisfied  with  the  momentary 
analysis  of  the  man  before  her. 

"It  does  seem  silly  to  stay  below  on  a  night  like 
this.  Shall  we  sit  here?"  She  indicated  two  vacant 
chairs  well  forward.  The  young  lady  scorned  a 
steamer  rug,  so  he  sat  beside  her,  conscious  that,  de 
spite  her  charming  presence,  he  was  beginning  to  feel 
the  air  keenly.  But  he  could  not  admit  it  to  this 
slight  Englishwoman. 

For  half  an  hour  or  more  they  sat  there,  finding 
conversation  easy,  strangely  interesting  to  two  per 
sons  who  had  nothing  whatsoever  in  common.  He 
was  charmed,  delighted  with  this  vivacious  girl.  And 
yet  something  mournful  seemed  to  shade  the  brilliant 
face  now  and  then.  It  did  not  come  and  go,  more 
over,  for  the  frank,  open  beauty  was  always  the 
same;  it  was  revealed  to  him  only  at  intervals.  Per 
haps  he  saw  it  in  her  dark,  tender  eyes — he  could  not 
tell.  He  saw  Henry  Veath  pacing  the  deck,  smoking 
and — alone.  Hugh's  heart  swelled  gladly  and  he 
spoke  quite  cheerily  to  Veath  as  that  gentleman  saun 
tered  past. 

"Now,  that  is  Mr.  Veath,  isn't  it?"  demanded  his  fair 
companion. 

"Yes;  do  you  think  we  should  be  mistaken  for  each 
other?" 

"Oh,  dear,  no,  now  that  I  know  you  apart.  You 
are  utterly  unlike,  except  in  height.  How  broad  he 
is !  Hasn't  he  a  wonderful  back?"  she  cried,  admiring 
the  tall,  straight  figure  of  the  walker. 


114  NEDRA 

"He  got  that  on  the  farm." 

"It  is  worth  a  farm  to  have  shoulders  like  his,  I 
should  say.  You  must  introduce  Mr.  Veath  to 
me." 

Hugh  looked  at  the  moon  very  thoughtfully  for  a 
few  moments  and  then,  as  if  remembering,  said  that 
he  would  be  happy  to  do  so,  and  was  sure  that  Veath 
would  be  even  happier. 

At  this  moment  the  tall,  lank  form  of  Lord  Hunting- 
ford  approached.  He  was  peering  intently  at  the 
people  in  the  chairs  as  he  passed  them,  plainly  search 
ing  for  some  one. 

"There  is  Lord  Huntingford  looking  for  you,"  said 
Hugh,  rising.  He  saw  a  trace  of  annoyance  in  her 
face  as  she  also  arose.  "I  overheard  him  telling  the 
captain  that  Lady  Huntingford — your  mother — 
plays  a  miserable  game  of  crib." 

She  started  and  turned  sharply  upon  him. 

"My  mother,  Mr.  Ridge?"  she  said  slowly. 

"Yes ;  your  father  was  guying  Captain  Shadburn 
about  his  game,  you  know." 

The  look  of  wonder  in  her  eyes  increased ;  she  passed 
her  hand  across  her  brow  and  then  through  her  hair 
in  evident  perplexity,  all  the  while  staring  at  his  face. 
There  was  a  tinge  of  suspicion  in  her  voice  when  she 
spoke. 

"Mr.  Ridge,  don't  you  know?" 

"Know  what?" 

"You  surely  know  that  I  am  not  Lord  Hunting- 
ford's " 


MR.  RIDGEWAY'S  AMAZEMENT  115 

"You  don't  mean  to  say  that  you  are  not  his  daugh 
ter,"  gasped  Hugh,  dubious  as  to  her  meaning. 

"I  am  Lady  Huntingford." 

"His  wife?" 

"His  wife." 

Hugh,  too  dumbfounded  to  speak,  could  do  no  more 
than  doff  his  cap  as  she  took  the  arm  of  the  gray  lord 
and  softly  said  to  him: 

"Good-night,  Mr.  Ridge." 


CHAPTER  X 
A  SHARP  ENCOUNTER 

THE  Tempest  Queen  carried  a  merry  cargo.  The 
young  officers,  the  Americans  and  rich  pleasure  seek 
ers  from  other  lands — young  and  old — made  up  a 
happy  company.  Of  all  on  board,  but  one  was  de 
spised  and  loathed  by  his  fellow-travellers — Lord 
Huntingford.  Not  so  much  for  his  manner  toward 
them  as  for  his  harsh,  bitter  attitude  toward  his  young 
wife. 

He  reprimanded  and  criticised  her  openly,  very  much 
as  he  would  have  spoken  to  a  child,  and  always  un 
deservedly.  She  endured  patiently,  to  all  appear 
ances,  and  her  cloud  of  humiliation  was  swept  away 
by  the  knowledge  that  her  new  friends  saw  the  injus 
tice  of  his  attacks.  She  did  not  pose  before  them  as 
a  martyr;  but  they  could  see  the  subdued  and  angry 
pride  and  the  checked  rebellion,  for  the  mask  of  sub 
mission  was  thin,  even  though  it  was  dutiful. 

The  two  young  women,  unlike  as  two  women  could 
be,  became  fast  friends.  The  Englishwoman  was  re 
finement,  sweetness,  even  royalty  itself  ;  the  American, 
proud,  equally  refined,  aggressive  and  possessed  of 
a  wit,  shrewdness  and  spontaneity  of  humor  that  often 
amazed  the  less  subtle  of  the  two.  Tinges  of  jealousy 


A    SHARP    ENCOUNTER  117 

sometimes  shot  into  Grace's  heart  when  she  saw  Hugh 
talking  to  the  new  friend,  but  they  disappeared  with 
the  recollection  of  her  Ladyship's  pure,  gentle  nobil 
ity  of  character.  It  is  seen  rarely  by  one  woman  in 
another. 

And  Veath?  The  stalwart,  fresh-hearted,  lean-faced 
Indianian  was  happier  than  he  had  dreamed  he  could 
be  when  he  drearily  went  aboard  a  ship  at  New  York 
with  the  shadow  of  exile  upon  him.  He  had  won  the 
friendship  of  all.  The  brain  of  the  Westerner  was 
as  big  as  his  heart,  and  it  had  been  filled  with  the 
things  which  make  men  valuable  to  the  world.  Men 
called  him  the  "real  American,"  and  women  conveyed 
a  world  of  meaning  in  the  simple,  earnest  expression 
—"I  like  Mr.  Veath." 

Veath  was  now  unmistakably  in  love  with  Grace 
Vernon.  The  fact  was  borne  in  upon  him  more  and 
more  positively  as  the  sunny  days  and  beautiful 
nights  drew  them  nearer  to  the  journey's  end.  Oc 
casionally  he  lapsed  into  strange  fits  of  dejection. 
These  came  when  he  stopped  to  ponder  over  certain 
prospects,  hopes  and  the  stores  of  life.  At  times  he 
cursed  the  fate  which  had  cast  him  into  the  world, 
big  and  strong,  yet  apparently  helpless.  It  had  not 
been  his  ambition  to  begin  life  in  the  capacity  which 
now  presented  itself.  His  hopes  had  been  limitless. 
Poverty  had  made  his  mind  a  treasure;  but  poverty 
iiad  also  kept  it  buried.  He  saw  before  him  the  long 
fight  for  opportunity,  position,  honor;  but  he  was 
not  the  sort  to  quail.  The  victory  would  be  glorious 


118  NEDRA 

when  he  thought  what  it  might  bring  to  him  from 
Grace  Ridge — she  who  was  going  to  be  a  mission 
ary.  A  long,  hard  fight,  indeed,  from  revenue  officer 
to  minister  plenipotentiary,  but  it  was  ambition's 
war. 

And  Hugh?  As  the  days  went  by,  his  jealousy 
of  Veath  became  almost  intolerable.  He  dared 
not  speak  to  Grace  about  it,  for  something  told 
him  she  was  not  to  be  censured.  Even  in  his  blind 
rage  he  remembered  that  she  was  good  and  true,  and 
was  daring  all  for  his  sake.  In  calmer  moments  he 
could  not  blame  Veath,  who  believed  the  young  lady 
to  be  sister,  and  not  sweetheart. 

In  view  of  his  misery,  Mr.  Ridgeway  was  growing 
thin,  morose,  and  subject  to  long  fits  of  despondency 
which  Grace  alone  could  comprehend.  Both  were  dis 
satisfied  with  the  trip.  That  they  could  not  be  to 
gether  constantly,  as  they  had  expected,  caused  them 
hours  of  misery.  They  were  praying  for  the  twenty- 
third  of  May  to  come,  praying  with  all  their  hearts. 
Beside  whom  did  Hugh  walk  during  the  deck  strolls 
and  at  Port  Said  ?  With  his  sister  ?  No,  indeed ;  that 
would  have  been  unnatural.  Who  was  Grace's  natural 
companion?  Henry  Veath  or  any  one  of  a  dozen  at 
tractive  young  officers.  How  could  it  have  been  other 
wise  ? 

She  was  popular  and  in  constant  demand.  There 
were  not  many  young  women  aboard  and  certainly  but 
two  or  three  attractive  ones.  From  morning  till  far 
in  the  night  she  was  besieged  by  men — always  men. 


A    SHARP    ENCOUNTER  119 

They  ignored  Hugh  with  all  the  indifference  that 
falls  to  the  lot  of  a  brother.  Time  after  time  they  ac 
tually  pounced  upon  the  couple  and  dragged  her  away 
without  so  much  as  "By  your  leave."  They  danced 
with  her,  sang  with  her,  walked  with  her  and  openly 
tried  to  make  love  to  her,  all  before  the  blazing  eyes 
of  one  Hugh  Ridgeway.  On  more  than  one  occasion 
he  had  gone  without  his  dinner  because  some  pre 
sumptuous  officer  unceremoniously  usurped  his  seat 
at  table,  grinning  amiably  when  Hugh  appeared. 

The  sweet,  dear  little  moments  of  privacy  that  Hugh 
and  Grace  obtained,  however,  were  morsels  of  joy 
which  were  now  becoming  more  precious  than  the 
fondest  dreams  of  the  wedded  state  to  come.  They 
coveted  these  moments  with  a  greediness  that  was  al 
most  sinful. 

On  many  nights  Grace  would  whisper  to  Hugh  at 
the  dinner  table  and  would  creep  quietly  oh  deck,  meal 
half  finished,  where  he  would  join  her  like  a  thief. 
Then  they  would  hide  from  interruption  as  long  as 
possible. 

One  night  they  enjoyed  themselves  more  unre 
strainedly  than  ever  before  in  their  lives.  They  were 
walking  self-consciously  and  almost  guiltily  near  the 
forward  end  of  the  deck-house  when  they  saw  Veath 
approaching  far  behind.  Their  speed  accelerated, 
and  for  half  an  hour  they  walked  like  pedestrians  in 
a  racing  match,  always  keeping  some  distance  ahead 
of  poor  Veath,  who  finally,  like  the  sly  fox,  sat  down 
and  waited  for  them  to  hurry  around  and  come  upon 


120  NEDRA 

him  unexpectedly.  He,  of  course,  never  knew  that 
they  were  trying  to  avoid  him,  nor  could  he  imagine 
why  brother  and  sister  were  so  flushed,  happy  and  ex 
cited  when  he  at  last  had  the  pleasure  of  joining 
them  in  their  walk.  And,  strange  to  say,  although 
they  had  been  wildly  happy  in  this  little  love  chase, 
they  felt  that  they  had  mistreated  a  very  good  fellow 
and  were  saying  as  much  to  each  other  when  they  al 
most  bumped  into  him. 

Womanly  perception  told  Grace  that  Veath's  regard 
for  her  was  beginning  to  assume  a  form  quite  beyond 
that  of  ordinary  friendship.  She  intuitively  felt 
that  he  was  beginning  to  love  her.  Perhaps  he  was  al 
ready  in  love,  and  was  releasing  those  helpless  little 
signs  which  a  woman  understands,  and  which  a  man 
thinks  he  conceals  impenetrably.  The  Queen  was  leav 
ing  Port  Said  and  she  was  leaning  on  the  rail  beside 
the  big  Indianian. 

"Why  are  you  going  out  to  be  a  missionary?"  he 
suddenly  asked.  Then  he  flushed  painfully,  remem 
bering  when  too  late  that  he  had  sworn  to  Hugh 
that  he  would  not  speak  to  her  of  the  matter.  "I 
beg  your  pardon,"  he  hurried  on ;  "I  promised — that 
is,  I  should  not  have  asked  you  that  question.  I  for 
got,  hang  my  stupidity." 

"Mr.  Veath,  I  am  not  going  out  to  be  a  missionary. 
Nothing  was  ever  farther  from  my  mind,"  she  said, 
rather  excitedly. 

"Not  going  to  be  a — why,  Hugh  said  you  were. 
There  I  go,  giving  him  away  again." 


A    SHARP    ENCOUNTER  121 

"Hugh  was  jesting.  I  a  missionary!  How  could 
you  have  believed  him?" 

"Are  you  in  earnest?"  he  cried. 

"Of  course  I  am  in  earnest,"  she  said,  trying  to 
look  straight  in  those  bright  eyes,  but  failing  dis 
mally.  Something  in  his  glance  dazzled  her.  It  was 
then  that  she  knew  the  truth  as  well  as  if  his  mind 
were  an  open  book. 

"Why  are  you  going  to  the  Philippines?"  he  per 
sisted. 

She  gave  him  a  quick,  frightened  glance  and  as 
hastily  looked  away.  The  red  of  confusion  rushed 
to  her  cheeks,  her  brow,  her  neck.  What  answer 
could  she  give? 

"We  are — are  just  taking  the  trip  for  pleasure,"  she 
stammered.  "Hugh  and  I  took  a  sudden  notion  to 
go  to  Manila  and — and — well,  we  are  going,  that's 
all." 

"You  don't  mean  to  say  you  are  making  this  as  a 
pleasure  trip?"  he  asked,  staring  at  her  with  a  dif 
ferent  light  in  his  eyes. 

"A  mere  whim,  you  know,"  she  hurried  on.  "Look 
at  those  Arabs  over  there." 

"But  a  pleasure  trip  of  this  kind  must  be  awfully 
expensive,  isn't  it?"  he  insisted. 

She  hesitated  for  an  instant  and  then  said  boldly: 
"You  see,  Mr.  Veath,  Hugh  and  I  are  very  rich.  It 
may  not  sound  well  for  me  to  say  it,  but  we  have 
much  more  money  than  we  know  how  to  spend.  The 
cost  of  this  voyage  is  a  mere  trifle.  Please  do  not 


NEDRA 

think  that  I  am  boasting.  It  is  the  miserable  truth." 
His  face  was  very  pale  when  she  dared  to  look  up  at 
it  again,  and  his  gaze  was  far  off  at  sea. 

"And  so  you  are  very  rich,"  he  mused  aloud.  "I 
thought  you  were  quite  poor,  because  missionaries  are 
seldom  overburdened  with  riches,  according  to  tradi 
tion,  or  the  gospel,  or  something  like  that.  This 
is  a  pleasure  trip !"  The  bitterness  of  his  tone  could 
not  be  hidden. 

"I  am  sorry  if  you  have  had  an  idol  shattered,"  she 
said. 

"Something  has  been  shattered,"  he  said,  smiling. 
"I  don't  know  very  much  about  idols,"  he  added. 
"How  long  do  you  expect  to  remain  in  Manila?" 

"But  a  very  short  time,"  she  said  simply. 

"And  I  shall  have  to  stay  there  for  years,  I  suppose," 
he  returned  slowly.  His  eyes  came  to  hers  for  a  second 
and  then  went  back  to  the  stretch  of  water  like  a  flash. 
That  brief  glance  troubled  her  greatly.  Her  heart 
trembled  with  pity  for  the  man  beside  her,  even  though 
speculation  wrought  the  emotion. 

In  her  stateroom  that  night  she  lay,  dry-eyed  and 
wakeful,  her  inward  cry  being :  "It  is  a  crime  to  have 
wounded  this  innocent  man.  Why  must  he  be  made 
to  suffer?" 

She  could  not  tell  Hugh  of  her  discovery,  for  she 
knew  that  he  would  be  unreasonable,  perhaps  do  or 
say  something  which  would  make  the  wound  more 
painful.  During  the  days  that  followed  Veath  was 
as  pleasant,  as  genial,  as  gallant  as  before;  none  but 


A    SHARP    ENCOUNTER  123 

Grace  observed  the  faint  change  in  his  manner.  She 
was  sure  she  could  distinguish  a  change,  yet  at  times, 
when  he  was  gayest,  she  thrilled  with  the  hope  that 
her  belief  was  the  outgrowth  of  a  conceit  which  she 
was  beginning  for  the  first  time  to  know  she  possessed. 
Then  came  the  belief  again  and  the  belief  was  stronger 
than  the  doubt.  She  could  not  be  mistaken. 

In  the  meantime  an  unexpected  complication  forced 
itself  upon  Hugh  Ridgeway.  Perforce  he  had  been 
thrown  more  or  less  constantly  into  the  society  of  that 
charming  creature,  Lady  Huntingford.  Not  that  the 
young  rakes  in  uniform  were  content  to  pass  her  by, 
but  because  she  plainly  preferred  the  young  Ameri 
can.  It  had  not  occurred  to  Mr.  Ridgeway  that  his 
Lordship  might  be  expected,  with  reasonable  pro 
priety,  to  unmask  a  j  ealous  streak  in  addition  to  other 
disagreeable  traits.  The  British  subalterns  probably 
knew  the  temper  of  the  old  diplomat's  mind,  which,  in 
a  degree,  explains  their  readiness  to  forgo  the  pleas 
ure  of  a  mild  flirtation  with  her  Ladyship.  Hugh, 
feeling  like  a  despised  pariah,  naturally  turned  to  her 
in  his  banishment.  She  was  his  friend,  his  one  beacon 
of  light  in  the  dark  sea  of  unhappiness. 

Others  noticed  it;  but  Hugh  was  blind  to  the  scowl 
which  never  left  the  face  of  Lord  Huntingford  in 
these  days.  THe  old  nobleman  knew  full  well  that 
his  wife  loathed  and  detested  him — just  as  the  whole 
ship  knew  it ;  his  pride  rankled  and  writhed  with  the 
fear  that  she  was  finding  more  than  friendship  to 
enjoy  in  her  daily  intercourse  with  the  good-looking 


NEDRA 

Mr.  Ridge.  Gradually  it  became  noticeable  that  he 
was  watching  her  every  act  with  spiteful  eyes,  and 
more  than  one  observer  winked  softly  at  his  neighbor, 
and  shook  his  head  with  a  meaning  unmistakable. 

The  clash  came  one  night  in  the  Red  Sea,  just  before 
the  ship  reached  Aden.  Hugh,  reviling  himself  and 
the  whole  world,  had  been  compelled  to  stand  by  and 
see  Lieutenant  Gilmore,  a  dashing  Irishman,  drag  the 
unwilling  Miss  Ridge  off  for  a  waltz.  Her  protesta 
tions  had  been  of  no  avail;  Gilmore  was  abominable 
enough  to  say  that  she  had  no  right  to  stow  herself 
away  with  a  stupid  old  brother  when  there  were  so 
many  "real  nice  chaps  on  board."  And  this  in  Hugh's 
presence,  too !  And  he  could  not  resent  it !  Alone  and 
miserable  the  pariah  sent  his  unspoken,  bitter  lamen 
tation  to  the  stars  as  he  stood  in  savage  loneliness  far 
aft,  listening  to  the  strains  of  waltz  music. 

"  Ton  my  soul !  Of  all  the  assinine  idiots,  bar  none, 
the  enlightened  inspirer  of  this  glorious  voyage  cer 
tainly  ranks  supreme!  And  I  didn't  have  brains 
enough  to  foresee  that  this  would  surely  happen! 
Brains?  Faugh!  Chump!" 

Hugh  might  have  apostrophized  himself  in  this  fash 
ion  until  dawn  had  not  a  harsh,  rasping  voice  from 
out  of  the  semi-darkness  broken  in  on  his  doleful 
revery. 

"Pardon  me,  sir,  do  you  play  cribbage?" 

Hugh  turned  half  about  and  faced  the  speaker.  He 
could  hardly  believe  his  ears,  his  eyes.  Was  it  possible 
that  the  haughty  Lord  Huntingford  had  fixed  upon 


A    SHARP    ENCOUNTER  125 

him  as  the  next  lamb  to  be  fleeced?  Ugly  stories  con 
cerning  the  government  emissary's  continuous  win 
nings,  disastrous  losses  of  the  young  subalterns  in 
veigled  into  gambling  through  fear  of  his  official  dis 
pleasure,  were  not  unknown  to  Hugh.  A  civil  declina 
tion  was  on  his  lips;  but  keenly  searching  the  shriv 
elled  face  leering  into  his  own,  Hugh  saw  written  there 
something  that  compelled  consideration,  challenged  a 
refusal.  Promptly  and  in  affirmative  speech  he  re 
versed  his  intention. 

Slowly  the  left  hand  of  Lord  Huntingford  produced 
from  behind  his  back  an  exquisitely  carved  ebony  crib- 
bage-board;  and  assuming  the  position  of  host,  indi 
cated  with  exaggerated  courtesy  and  a  wave  of  his. 
free  hand  the  way  to  the  smoking-room. 

Hugh,  following  him  along  the  deck,  was  hastily  re 
viewing  the  voyage;  and  failing  to  recall  any  previ 
ous  occasion  wherein  the  nobleman  had  addressed  him, 
his  sense  of  perplexity  increased.  Was  there  some  hid 
den  purpose,  some  crafty  machination  lurking  be 
hind  the  elaborated  manner  with  which  the  invitation 
was  delivered?  On  the  other  hand,  perhaps,  his  im 
agination  was  playing  him  a  trick,  and  this  selection 
of  an  adversary  was  merely  accidental. 

And  yet,  had  he  but  known,  it  was  his  own  absorb 
ing  jealousy  of  Veath  that  precluded  the  recognition 
of  a  like  sentiment  directed  against  him,  even  sur 
passing  in  intensity  its  owner's  lust  for  gain  at 
play. 

The  smoking-room  was  empty,  which,  to  the  younger 


126  NEDRA 

man,  appeared  as  rather  extraordinary,  and  served 
to  augment  his  supposition  that  such  a  condition 
was  presupposed.  This,  in  turn,  was  dimissed,  for 
he  remembered  that  the  usual  occupants  were  either 
dancing  or  looking  on. 

Taking  the  initiative,  as  if  such  a  course  was  in 
cumbent,  Lord  Hutingford  placed  his  cribbage-board 
on  a  table  and  drew  up  chairs  for  both ;  with  equal 
politeness  the  proffered  seat  was  accepted,  Hugh  reg 
istering  inwardly  a  determination  to  force  high  stakes, 
and,  if  possible,  recoup  the  losses  of  the  young  officers. 
Not  for  an  instant  did  he  doubt  his  ability  to  detect 
the  slightest  irregularities  in  the  count  of  his  dis 
credited  opponent. 

"Sovereign  a  point?" 

"Done!     Five,  if  you  like!" 

This  answer  from  the  young  American  caused  an 
avaricious  glint  to  leap  into  the  other's  eyes.  Plainly, 
two  master  passions  fought  for  supremacy:  an  inor 
dinate  greed  for  money  and  a  choleric  determination 
to  prohibit  any  further  attentions  to  his  wife.  The 
struggle  was  brief,  for  the  vehemence  of  his  enmity, 
triumphant,  the  hope  of  immediate  emolument  was 
sacrificed,  and  the  rooking  of  the  young  man  post 
poned  to  some  future  occasion.  Then,  subtly  conceal 
ing  his  purpose,  he  nodded  an  ambiguous  acceptance. 

Cards  were  ordered.  A  steward  fetched  them  and 
awaited  further  commands. 

Lord  Huntingford  strangely  distrait,  it  seemed  to 
Hugh,  considering  the  amount  at  stake,  shuffled  the 


A    SHARP    ENCOUNTER  127 

pack  and  offered  them  for  the  cut.  This  conventional 
operation  performed  and  his  Lordship  successful,  he 
dealt  the  hands,  at  the  same  time  giving  the  steward  a 
sharp  order  to  leave.  The  man's  reception  of  his  dis 
missal  was  so  insolent  that  it  attracted  Hugh's  atten 
tion.  Looking  up,  to  his  surprise,  he  recognized  his 
room  steward. 

"With  whom  have  I  the  pleasure  of  playing?"  came 
suddenly  from  Lord  Huntingford. 

"Ridgeway,  Hugh " 

Quick  as  the  thought  in  the  mind  preceding  it,  in 
evitably  connected,  the  name  escaped  unwittingly 
from  his  lips ;  for  with  the  discovery  of  the  steward's 
identity  there  flashed  like  a  bolt  from  the  blue  an  ap 
palling  recollection !  Exposed  to  view  on  the  table 
in  his  stateroom  were  valuable  documents  addressed  to 
him  by  his  banker,  which  he  had  forgotten  to  replace 
in  his  dispatch-box ! 

"Eh?  What's  that?  What  name?"  The  interroga 
tion,  icily  formal,  told  nothing;  but  upon  its  answer 
hinged  limitless  consequences. 

Hugh  was  in  a  dilemma.  Should  he  correct  himself, 
or  rely  on  the  slip  passing  unobserved?  The  peculiar 
expression  on  the  steward's  face  returned  to  him ;  and 
he  wondered  if  the  knowledge  of  his  adopting  an  in 
cognito  had  been  elicited  from  the  garrulous  servant, 
and  the  Englishman  about  to  take  advantage  of  it? 
Reddening  with  anger  as  much  against  himself  as 
against  the  cynical  old  aristocrat,  who  was  cornering 
him  cavalierly,  he  decided  to  brave  exposure: 


128  NEDRA 

"Ridge!  H.  B.  Ridge  is  my  name,  Lord  Hunting- 
ford  !" 

There  was  a  reckless  disregard  of  possibilities  in  the 
eyes  that  fastened  themselves  on  the  face  of  the  noble 
man  for  a  clue,  some  enlightenment  as  to  the  im 
pression  produced;  but  all  in  vain.  The  shrewd, 
small  eyes  answered  the  scrutiny  impassively,  and 
without  as  much  as  the  flicker  of  an  eyelid.  Taking 
one  of  the  little  ivory  pegs,  he  stuck  it  in  the  start 
ing  hole  at  the  end  of  the  cribbage-board.  Uncon 
sciously,  while  waiting  for  the  mental  move  which 
would  determine  his  future  address,  Hugh  following 
the  other's  lead,  picked  up  one  and  pegged.  Then 
to  his  infinite  relief  Lord  Huntingford  apparently 
allowed  the  correction,  accepted  the  alias. 

"Ridge !"  he  pronounced  with  malicious  uncertainty. 
"Ridge !  I  am  acquainted  with  the  English  Ridges ;" 
and  the  sneer  in  the  voice  increased.  "Do  I  under 
stand  you  to  pretend  that  you  are  one  of  that  dis 
tinguished  family?" 

Hugh  clenched  his  lips  and  his  blood  boiled  at  the 
treatment. 

"I  am  an  American,  Lord  Huntingford,"  spoken 
easily,  his  pride  showing  only  by  a  perceptible  lift 
of  the  head ;  "and  my  ancestors  were  not  Tories  in 
the  Revolution.  Relationship,  if  any,  would  be — er 
— distant.  I  claim  none." 

"A  trifle  strained,"  admitted  his  Lordship,  laughing 
disagreeably. 

At  that  moment  the  band  could  be  heard  in  the  dis- 


A    SHARP    ENCOUNTER  129 

tance  playing  the  strains  of  a  waltz ;  also  the  voices 
of  the  couples  who  were  promenading  and  passing  the 
open  door.  To  Hugh's  amazement,  Lord  Hunting- 
ford,  obviously  heedless  of  his  peculiar  action,  recom 
menced  shuffling  the  stack  of  cards,  though  the  dealt 
hands  remained  untouched  on  the  table.  Instinctively, 
Hugh  was  convinced  that  no  play  was  intended. 
There  was  something  on  the  mind  of  the  wily  old 
diplomat  far  more  momentous  than  a  mere  game  of 
cards ;  yet  no  chance  had  been  given  to  him  to  pene 
trate  into  the  other's  motives. 

It  was  not  long  forthcoming. 

Suddenly,  clear  as  a  bell,  Hugh  distinguished  the 
laughter  of  Lady  Huntingford,  and  involuntarily  he 
smiled.  This  seemed  to  enrage  his  Lordship.  Hatred 
and  menace  shone  from  his  eyes  as  he  glanced  at  the 
man  opposite  him.  With  an  oath  he  rose,  walked  to 
the  door  and  closed  it.  Then  ruthlessly  laying  aside 
the  last  vestige  of  his  assumed  courtliness,  he  picked 
up  his  stick  from  the  table,  leaned  far  over,  shook 
it  in  Hugh's  face,  and  became  an  irascible,  shouting 
old  man. 

"Look  here,  young  man — Ridge — Ridgeway — or 
whatever  your  blasted  name — do  you  think  I'll  allow 
you  to  carry  on  an  affair  with  my  wife — my  wife, 
sir?"  he  vociferated.  "Henceforth,  I  forbid  you  to 
speak  to  her!  Do  you  hear  me?" 

It  was  debatable  whether  Hugh  was  more  astonished 
at  the  mention  of  Lady  Huntingford's  name  in  con 
nection  with  his  own,  or  at  the  stick  in  dangerously 


130  NEDRA 

close  proximity  to  his  countenance.  It  was  some  time 
before  he  could  find  words ;  but  his  face  from  red  went 
white. 

"And  if  I  decline?" 

There  was  that  in  the  low  tone  that  should  have 
warned  the  aggressor  from  further  insult ;  but  forget 
ting  that  the  swaggering  domination  he  had  been  ac 
customed  to  exercising  over  his  own  countrymen,  of 
ficially  his  inferiors,  would  not  for  a  moment  be  tol 
erated  by  one  of  another  nationality,  he  again  broke 
out: 

"You  bounder !  Yankee  upstart !  I'll  thrash  you, 
and  then  have  the  captain  put  you  on  shore  at  the 
first  port — you  infernal  impostor!" 

In  an  instant  Hugh  was  over  the  table.  He  tore  the 
stick  from  Lord  Huntingford's  hand  and  clutched 
his  throat,  forcing  him  down  on  the  seat  cushions. 
With  the  exception  of  the  younger  man's  hard 
breathing  and  some  gasps  from  the  other,  the  struggle 
was  noiseless.  Not  until  Lord  Huntingford  was  grow 
ing  black  in  the  face  did  Hugh  come  to  his  senses. 
Then  releasing  one  hand  from  the  throat,  he  pinned 
him  with  the  other  and  a  knee. 

"You  old  scoundrel!"  Hugh  began,  jerking  out  the 
scathing  words ;  "if  it  were  not  for  your  old  age  and 
your  wife  I'd  drag  you  on  deck  and  make  you  apolo 
gize  on  your  knees  before  them  all.  I'll  spare  you 
that  degradation ;  but  if  I  ever  hear  of  you  men 
tioning  the  name  Ridegway — I've  my  own  reasons 
for  concealing  it,  and  they  don't  concern  you — I'll 


A    SHARP    ENCOUNTER  131 

make  some  charges  in  regard  to  your  card  playing 
that  will  bar  you  from  every  club  in  the  world,  and, 
unlike  your  poor  dupes,  I  am  in  a  position  to  substan 
tiate  them  without  fear  of  consequences." 

Lord  Huntingford  grudgingly  mumbled  a  throttled 
promise,  and  Hugh  allowed  him  to  regain  his  feet. 
At  that  instant  Veath,  with  Grace  and  Lady  Hunting- 
ford,  standing  behind  him,  opened  the  door  of  the 
smoking-room. 

"Here,  Veath!"  called  out  Hugh  to  the  astonished 
Indianian.  "I  want  you  to  bear  witness  that  Lord 
Huntingford  has  promised  to  keep  absolutely  quiet 

about  a  little  altercation  of  ours,  and 

The  quick  gesture  of  caution  from  Veath  came  too 
late.  Lady  Huntingford  with  astonished  eyes  was 
gazing  into  the  room  at  them.  Hugh  promptly  went 
over  to  her. 

"You  must  pardon  me,  Lady  Huntingford;  I  am 
sorry  to  cause  you  any  pain  or  annoyance.  In  a  dis 
pute  over  the  cards  with  your  husband  I  forgot  my 
self  for  a  moment.  Pray  forgive  me." 

Ridgeway  quietly  strode  away  with  Grace  and  Veath. 
Lady  Huntingford  directed  a  look  of  unutterable  con 
tempt  at  her  husband,  turned  on  her  heel  and  left  him 
to  slink  away  as  quickly  as  possible,  like  a  cur  that 
has  felt  the  whip. 


CHAPTER    XI 
DISCOVERED 

LORD  HUNTINGFORD  could  not  forgive  the  man  who 
had  put  his  aristocratic  nose  out  of  joint  in  such 
an  effective  manner.  He  was,  however,  as  polite  as 
nature  would  permit  him  to  be  to  Miss  Ridge  and 
Mr.  Veath.  As  for  Hugh,  that  young  gentleman 
thought  it  the  wiser  plan,  when  unavoidably  relating 
a  mild  description  of  last  night's  encounter,  to  ab 
stain  from  acquainting  Grace  with  Lord  Hunting- 
ford's  discovery  of  his  name — whether  accidental  or 
otherwise.  Quite  rightly  he  surmised  that  it  would 
unnecessarily  distress  her,  and  he  preferred  not  to 
cross  the  bridge  until  he  came  to  it. 

It  was  the  evening  following  the  conflict.  As  night 
approached,  the  sun  fell  behind  the  shores  of  the 
Red  Sea,  the  stars  twinkled  out  through  the  black 
ness  above,  and  yet  they  had  not  caught  a  glimpse  of 
her  Ladyship.  At  dinner,  he  and  Grace  had  agreed 
that  she  had  either  renounced  them  entirely,  or  had 
been  compelled  to  avoid  him  in  particular.  Veath  was 
less  concerned.  He  was  thinking  of  another  woman. 

Hugh  and  Grace  again  stole  away  for  a  few  moments 
of  seclusion  on  deck.  They  found  chairs  and  sat 
down,  neither  very  talkative. 


DISCOVERED  133 

"Oh,  Hugh,  just  think  where  we  are,"  she  mur 
mured  at  last.  "Thousands  of  miles  from  home,  and 
no  one  the  wiser  save  ourselves.  Chicago  is  on  the 
other  side  of  the  world." 

"Are  you  sorry  you  came,  dear?" 

"I  am  glad.  But  isn't  it  awful  to  consider  how  far 
we  are  from  everybody  we  know?  We  might  just 
as  well  be  dead,  Hugh."  She  was  very  solemn  and 
wide-eyed. 

"I  am  afraid  you  are  losing  heart,"  he  said  discon 
solately. 

"Why,  Hugh  Ridgeway — Ridge,  I  mean, — how  can 
I  afford  to  lose  heart  now?  Don't  ever  say  that  to 
me  again." 

"Yes ;  we  are  a  long  way  from  home,  dear,"  mused  he 
after  a  while. 

"How  far  are  we  from  Manila?"  she  asked  sud 
denly. 

"A  million  miles,  judging  by  the  way  time  goes. 
We'll  be  there  in  twenty  days,  the  captain  says." 

"What  do  you  suppose  Mr.  Veath  will  say  when  he 
hears  of  our  marriage?"  This  question  was  pro 
pounded  after  a  longer  interval  of  silence  than  usual. 

"Why  should  we  care  what  Mr.  Veath  says?  If  he 
doesn't  approve,  let  him  go  to —  "  but  Hugh  checked 
his  fiery  speech  as  abruptly  as  he  began  it. 

"He  will  be  awfully  shocked  to  learn  how  we  have 
deceived  him,"  she  went  on,  as  if  he  had  not  spoken. 

"Well,  do  you  care?"  demanded  Hugh. 

"Yes,  I  care,"  she  cried.     "I  shall  be  very  sorry  if 


134  NEDRA 

he  loses  the  good  opinion  he  may  have  formed.  He  is 
the  kind  of  a  man  who  would  not  understand  such  an 
affair  as  this." 

"But,  then,  we  are  not  obliged  to  tell  him.  We  can 
get  married  and  leave  Manila  at  once  without  ever 
seeing  him  again.  After  that  we  will  be  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Ridgeway,  and  he  could  never  find  the  people 
known  as  Hugh  Ridge  and  sister." 

"That  would  be  a  shameless  way  to  treat  him.  He 
has  been  so  true,  so  good,  Hugh,"  she  cried  reproach 
fully.  For  quite  a  while  their  eyes  lingered  upon  the 
dark  water  without  seeing  it,  their  thoughts  centred 
upon  the  fast  approaching  end  of  their  relationship 
with  Henry  Veath. 

"I  wish  he  could  be  told,"  murmured  she,  her  voice 
far  away. 

"I  couldn't  do  it  to  save  my  soul.  What  would  he 
say  ?"  There  was  an  awed  anxiety  in  his  voice. 

"I  don't  care  what  other  people  say,  but  I  do  care 
what  he  says.  He  seems  so  honest,  so  far  above 
tricks  of  this  kind." 

"What's  one  man's  opinion,  anyhow,  especially  when 
he's  to  be  buried  in  Manila  for  years?" 

"Oh,  Hugh !  How  lonely  he  will  be  in  that  strange 
place.  And  how  dreadful  it  will  be  in  us  to  sneak 
away  from  him  like  cowards,  just  as  if  we  cared 
nothing  for  him  at  all.  He  doesn't  deserve  that,  does 
he?" 

"No,  he  doesn't,  that's  a  fact.  We  can't  treat  him 
like  a  dog." 


DISCOVERED  135 

"I  wish  he  could  be  told,"  sighed  she  pensively. 

"When?" 

"You  might  try  to  tell  him  at  any  time,"  she  said, 
a  perceptible  strain  in  her  voice. 

"I'll  tell  you  what  I'll  do,"  said  he,  taking  her 
hand  in  his.  "I  will  tell  him  the  day  before  we  reach 
Manila." 

"I'm  afraid  it  will  be  too  late,"  she  cried,  all 
a-flutter. 

"Too  late?    Why?" 

"I  mean,"  she  went  on  confusedly,  "he  might  think 
we  had  waited  too  long."  She  was  thinking  of  Veath's 
wistful  eyes. 

"Hello !  Here  you  are,"  cried  a  strong  voice,  and 
Veath  loomed  up  through  the  shadows.  Hugh  re 
leased  her  hand  and  dropped  back  in  the  chair  from 
which  he  had  half  risen  to  kiss  her.  "You  hide  away 
like  a  pair  of  silly  lovers.  There's  nothing  prosaic 
about  this  brother  and  sister.  Do  you  know,  I  have 
often  marvelled  over  one  thing  in  connection  with 
you.  You  don't  look  any  more  like  brother  and  sister 
than  the  sea  looks  like  dry  land." 

The  pair  caught  breath  sharply  and  Hugh  almost 
snorted  aloud.  Grace  could  do  nothing  but  look  up 
to  where  she  saw  the  red  fluctuating  glow  of  a  cigar 
tip  in  the  darkness.  It  made  her  think  of  a  little 
moon  which  could  breathe  like  herself. 

"It  all  goes  to  show  how  deceptive  appearances  can 
be,"  went  on  Veath  easily.  "Don't  you  want  to  walk, 
Miss  Ridge?  I'm  sure  you  need  exercise." 


136  NEDRA 

"I  promised  Hugh  I  would  drive  away  his  blues,  Mr. 
Veath.  Thank  you,  but  I  believe  I'll  sit  here  for  a 
while  and  then  go  below,"  she  said,  a  trifle  discon 
nectedly. 

"We'll  take  Hugh  along,"  said  Veath  obligingly. 
"Come  along,  both  of  you." 

"Excuse  me,  Henry,  but  I  don't  feel  like  walk 
ing,"  said  Hugh,  a  tinge  of  sullenness  in  his  man 
ner. 

"Lazy,  eh?  Well,  I'll  bring  Miss  Ridge  back  in  half 
an  hour.  You  wouldn't  have  me  wander  about  this 
dismal  old  boat  alone,  would  you?  Smoke  a  cigar, 
Hugh,  and  I'll  take  care  of  your  sister  while  you 
count  the  stars."  He  offered  Hugh  a  cigar. 

Hugh  rose  suddenly   and  started  away. 

"Hugh !"  called  she,  "come  and  walk  with  us."  He 
could  distinguish  the  loving  entreaty,  the  trouble  in 
her  tones,  but  he  was  unreasonable. 

"Never  mind  me,"  he  sang  out  with  an  assumption  of 
cheerfulness.  Grace  flushed  hotly,  her  heart  swelling 
with  injured  pride.  Without  another  word  she  rose 
and  walked  away  with  Veath.  Indignation  burned 
within  her  soul  until  she  went  to  sleep,  hours  after 
ward. 

Ridgeway  stamped  the  full  length  of  the  promenade 
before  he  came  to  an  understanding  with  himself.  On 
reaching  that  understanding,  he  whirled  and  walked 
back  to  where  he  had  left  them,  expecting  to  find 
Veath  occupying  the  chair  he  had  vacated.  Of  course 
they  were  not  to  be  found,  so  he  threw  himself  on  one 


DISCOVERED  137 

of  the  chairs,  more  miserable  than  he  had  been  since 
they  started  on  their  voyage.  The  lady  in  the  chair 
to  his  left  stirred  nervously  and  then  a  soft  laugh  came 
from  her  lips. 

"Are  you  sleepy,  Mr.  Ridge?"  she  asked.  Hugh 
turned  quickly  and  looked  into  the  face  of  Lady 
Huntingford. 

"Not  at  all,"  he  replied.  "But  how  strange  it  seems 
that  you  should  always  appear  like  the  fairy  queen 
when  I  am  most  in  need  of  a  bracer.  Oh,  I  beg  your 
pardon,"  he  went  on,  rising  in  some  perturbation.  "I 
forgot  that  there  is  a — a  barrier  between  us.  War 
has  been  declared,  I  fear." 

"I  am  ready  to  make  friendly  overtures,"  she  said 
gaily.  "Isn't  there  some  such  thing  as  a  treaty  which 
requires  a  strong  power  to  protect  its  weaker  ally  in 
time  of  stress?" 

"You  mean  that  we  may  still  be  friends  in  spite  of  all 
that  happened  last  night?"  he  cried.  She  nodded  her 
head  and  smiled,  and  he  shook  her  hand  as  only  an 
impulsive  American  would. 

"But  Lord  Huntingford?  What  will  he  say?"  he 
asked. 

"His  Lordship's  authority  can  be  carried  to  a  certain 
limit  and  no  farther,"  she  said,  and  her  eyes  flashed. 
"He  knows  when  to  curse  and  abuse ;  but  he  also  knows 
when  that  attitude  might  operate  against  him.  He 
is  not  in  a  position  to  push  me  to  the  wall." 

"What  do  you  mean?" 

"I  mean  he  knows  enough  not  to  drive  me  to  the 


138  NEDRA 

point  where  I  would  turn  and  fight."  Hugh  never 
had  seen  her  so  entrancing  as  she  was  in  that  dim 
light,  her  face  the  picture  of  proud  defiance. 

"I  wonder  not  a  little  that  you  have  not  asked  for 
a  divorce  long  before  this." 

"You  are  not  a  woman  or  you  would  not  ask 
that." 

"Lots  of  women  ask  for  divorces." 

"It  should  be  the  last  resort  with  any  woman.  But 
let  us  talk  of  something  else.  Where  is  your  sister? 
I  have  not  seen  her  to-day." 

This  question  was  particularly  ill-timed,  for  it  re 
stored  the  forgotten  bitterness  to  the  position  from 
which  it  had  been  temporarily  driven  by  the  inter 
ruption. 

"I  don't  know,"  he  answered. 

"I  thought  I  heard  her  talking  to  you  here  a  few 
moments  ago — in  fact,  I  saw  you." 

"Where  were  you?" 

"I  passed  within  a  dozen  feet  of  you.  Neither  of 
you  saw  me,  I  am  sure.  You  would  not  have  cut  me 
intentionally,  would  you?" 

"I  should  say  not.    You  walked  past  here?" 

"Yes,  you  were  tying  her  shoe-string." 

"What !"  exclaimed  he,  starting  to  his  feet,  "tying 
Grace's  shoe-string?"  The  first  thought  that  rushed 
to  his  mind  was  that  Veath  had  knelt  to  plead  his 
love  to  Grace  Vernon. 

"Lady  Huntingford,  let  us  walk,"  he  exclaimed.  It 
was  a  fierce,  impatient  command  instead  of  a  polite 


DISCOVERED  139 

invitation.  The  pretty  young  woman  calmly  lay  back 
in  her  chair  and  laughed.  "If  you  won't  come,  then 
please  excuse  me.  I  must  go." 

"Why  are  you  so  eager  to  walk,  Mr.  Ridgeway?" 
she  asked. 

"Because  I  want — what  was  that  you  called  me?"  he 
gasped,  his  heart  almost  turning  upside  down. 

"Ridgeway.     That's  your  name,  isn't  it?" 

"What  do  you  mean?" 

"Oh,  a  great  many  things,"  she  said  with  a  serious 
face. 

Hugh  was  visibly  annoyed.  There  was  to  be  more 
trouble  from  the  nobleman;  evidently  he  did  not  in 
tend  to  keep  his  promise. 

"In  the  first  place,"  she  continued,  "I  must  acknowl 
edge  that  I  forced  from  my  husband  an  account  of 
last  night's  affair;  he  also  told  me  your  name.  But, 
believe  me,  it  will  go  no  further.  I  cannot  thank  you 
enough,  Mr.  Ridgeway,"  the  color  stealing  into  her 
cheeks. 

Ridgeway  bowed. 

"In  the  next  place,"  she  went  on  playfully,  "you  are 
very  jealous  of  Mr.  Veath.  Tut,  tut,  yes  you  are," 
with  a  gesture  of  protest.  "He  thinks  Miss  Ridge 
is  your  sister,  and  she  is  not  your  sister.  And  lastly, 
nobody  on  board  knows  these  facts  but  the  very  bright 
woman  who  is  talking  to  you  at  this  moment." 

"But  you  are  mistaken,  madam,"  with  a  last  at 
tempt  at  assumption  of  dignity. 

"Would  I  say  this  to  you  if  I  were  not  positive? 


140  NEDRA 

You  think  you  are  very  clever;  I'll  admit  that  you 
are.  Your  secrets  came  to  me  through  an  accident. 
Do  not  think  that  I  have  pried  into  your  affairs.  They 
really  forced  themselves  upon  me." 

"Tell  me  what  you  know,  for  Heaven's  sake,"  cried 
the  dismayed  Ridgeway. 

"I  was  in  your  sister's  room  earlier  in  the  day.  Her 
trunk  was  open  and  I  saw  a  portfolio  with  Vernon 
in  silver  lettering ;  and  I  was  more  mystified  than  ever 
when  I  observed  that  the  initials  on  her  trunk  were 
'G.  V.'  All  day  yesterday  I  tried  to  solve  the  problem, 
taking  into  consideration  the  utter  absence  of  family 
resemblance  between  you,  and  I  was  almost  sick  with 
curiosity.  To-day  I  was  convinced  that  her  name  is 
not  Ridge.  She  inadvertently  signed  her  name  to  the 
purser's  slip  in  my  presence,  and  she  did  not  sign  the 
— yours.  She  scratched  it  out  quickly  and  asked  him 
to  make  out  another  one.  Now,  what  is  this  mystery  ?" 
She  bent  her  gaze  upon  his  face  and  he  could  not 
meet  it. 

"Do  you  want  to  know  the  reason  why  I  did  not  see 
you  yesterday?"  she  continued. 

"Yes,"  he  murmured,  mopping  his  brow. 

"Because  I  was  so  distressed  that  I  feared  I  could 
not  face  either  of  you,  knowing  what  I  do." 

"What  do  you  mean?" 

"I  know  you  are  running  away."  Not  a  word  was 
spoken  for  a  full  minute.  He  could  scarcely  breathe. 
"You  do  not  deny  it?"  she  questioned  gently.  "Please 
do  not  fear  me." 


DISCOVERED  141 

"I  do  not  fear  you,"  he  half  whispered,  sinking  his 
chin  in  his  hands.  Another  long  silence. 

"There  are  some  circumstances  and  conditions  under 
which  a  woman  should  not  be  condemned  for  running 
away,"  she  said  in  a  strained,  faraway  voice.  "Has 
— has  she  children?" 

"Good  Heaven!"  cried  Hugh,  leaping  to  his  feet, 
horror-struck. 


CHAPTER  XII 
THE  HARLEQUIN'S  ERRAND 

LADY  HUNTINGFORD,  alarmed  by  his  manner,  arose 
and  steadied  herself  against  the  deck-house.  His  ex 
clamation  rang  in  her  ears,  filling  them  with  its  hor 
ror.  At  length  he  roughly  grasped  her  arm,  thrusting 
his  face  close  to  hers,  fairly  grated  out  the  words : 

"You  think  she  is  a  wife?" 

"I  feared  so." 

"She  is  not!  Do  you  hear  me?  She  is  not!"  he 
cried  so  fiercely  that  there  was  no  room  for  doubt. 
"She  is  the  purest,  dearest  girl  in  the  world,  and  she 
has  done  all  this  for  me.  For  God's  sake,  do  not  ex 
pose  us."  He  dropped  back  in  the  chair.  "It's  not 
for  my  sake  that  I  ask  it,  but  for  hers,"  he  went  on 
quickly. 

"I'm  sure  I  have  wronged  her  and  I  have  wronged 
you.  Will  you  believe  me?" 

He  did  not  answer  at  once.  His  turbulent  brain  was 
endeavoring  to  find  words  with  which  to  convince  her 
of  the  innocence  of  the  escapade.  Looking  up  into 
her  eyes,  he  was  struck  by  their  tender  staunchness. 
Like  a  flash  came  to  him  the  decision  to  tell  her  the 
true  storjr,  from  beginning  to  end. 

"Lady  Huntingford,  I  will  tell  you  everything  there 


THE   HARLEQUIN'S  ERRAND 

is  to  tell.  It  is  not  a  long  tale,  and  you  may  say  it 
is  a  very  foolish  one.  I  am  sure,  however,  that  it  will 
interest  you." 

"You  shall  not  tell  me  a  word  if  you  do  so  in  order 
to  appease  my  curiosity,"  she  began  earnestly. 

"I  think  it  is  best  that  you  should  know,"  he  inter 
rupted.  "One  favor  first.  You  will  earn  my  eternal 
gratitude  if  you  do  not  allow  Grace  to  feel  that  you 
have  discovered  our  secret." 

"You  have  my  promise.  I  have  kept  many  secrets, 
Mr.  Ridge."  He  drew  his  chair  quite  close  to  hers. 
Then  he  told  her  the  full  story  of  the  adventure,  from 
first  to  last.  She  scarcely  breathed,  so  deeply  was 
her  interest  centred  in  this  little  history  of  an  impulse. 
He  spoke  hurriedly,  excitedly.  Not  once  did  she  take 
her  eyes  from  his  earnest  face,  almost  indistinguishable 
in  the  darkness ;  nor  could  he  remove  his  from  hers. 

"And  here  we  are  approaching  Aden,  your  Lady 
ship,"  he  concluded.  Her  big  dark  eyes  had  held  him 
enthralled,  inspiring  him  to  paint  in  glorious  colors 
every  detail  of  the  remarkable  journey.  As  he  drew 
to  a  close,  her  hand  fell  involuntarily  on  his  knee.  A 
tremor  dashed  through  his  veins,  and  his  heart 
throbbed  fiercely. 

"How  glorious  it  must  be  to  love  like  that,"  she  al 
most  whispered.  There  was  a  catch  in  her  voice,  as 
she  uttered  that  soft,  dreamy  sentence,  almost  a  sigh. 
She  turned  her  face  away  suddenly  and  then  arose, 
crying  in  tones  so  low  and  despairing  that  he  could 
hardly  believe  they  came  from  the  usually  merry  lips : 


144  NEDRA 

"Oh,  how  I  envy  her  this  life  and  love !  How  wonder 
ful  it  all  is!" 

"It  has  its  drawbacks,"  he  lamented.  "As  a  brother 
I  am  a  nonentity,  Lady  Huntingford;  it's  not  alto 
gether  relishable,  you  know.  It's  a  sort  of  pantomime, 
for  me,  by  Jove.  I'm  the  fool,  and  this  seems  to  be 
the  fool's  errand." 

"If  you  will  play  a  part  in  the  pantomime,  Mr. 
Ridge,  let  an  Englishwoman  suggest  that  you  be  the 
harlequin.  How  I  loved  the  harlequin  in  the  Drury 
Lane  pantomimes  at  Christmas  time!  He  was  always 
the  ideal  lover  to  me,  for  there  was  no  trick,  no  prank 
this  bespangled  hero  could  not  play  to  success.  He 
always  went  incognito,  for  he  wore  his  narrow  mask 
of  black.  He  performed  the  most  marvellous  things 
for  his  Columbine, — and  was  she  not  a  worthy  sweet 
heart?  No,  no,  Mr.  Ridge — not  the  fool,  I  pray. 
Please  be  the  harlequin,"  she  cried  in  rare  good  humor. 

"As  you  like  it,"  he  said,  reflecting  her  spirits.  "I 
am  the  harlequin  and  this  is,  perforce,  the  harlequin's 
errand."  They  were  silent  for  a  long  time,  then  he 
said  soberly: 

"It  was  such  a  foolish  thing  to  do,  after  all."  She 
looked  up  at  him  for  a  moment,  the  bitterness  fading 
from  her  hungry  eyes,  a  smile  struggling  feebly  into 
power.  Then  came  the  radiance  of  enthusiasm. 

"Foolish !"  she  exclaimed,  with  eyes  sparkling  and 
breast  heaving.  "It  was  magnificent !  What  a  brave 
girl  she  is !  Oh,  how  clever  you  both  are  and  how 
much  you  will  enjoy  the  memory  of  this  wonderful 


THE  HARLEQUIN'S  ERRAND      145 

trip.  It  will  always  be  fresh  and  novel  to  you — you 
will  never  forget  one  moment  of  its  raptures.  How 
I  wish  I  could  have  done  something  like  this.  If  I 
dared,  I  would  kiss  that  brave,  lucky  girl  a  thousand 
times." 

"But  you  must  not  let  her  suspect,"  cautioned  he. 

"It  would  ruin  everything  for  her  if  she  even  dreamed 
that  you  had  told  me,  and  I  would  not  mar  her  hap 
piness  for  the  world.  Really,  Mr.  Ridge,  I  am  so  ex 
cited  over  your  exploit  that  I  can  scarcely  contain 
myself.  It  seems  so  improbable,  so  immense,  yet  so 
simple  that  I  can  hardly  understand  it  at  all.  Why 
is  it  other  people  have  not  found  this  way  to  revolu 
tionize  life?  Running  around  the  world  to  get  mar 
ried  without  the  faintest  excuse  save  an  impulse — 
a  whim.  How  good,  how  glorious !  It  is  better  than 
a  novel !" 

"I  hope  it  is  better  than  some  novels." 

"It  is  better  than  any,  because  it  is  true." 

"I  am  afraid  you  are  trying  to  lionize  me,"  he 
jested. 

"You  have  faced  a  British  lion,"  she  said  slowly. 

"My  only  regret  is  that  he  is  old  and  clawless." 

"We  are  retracing  our  steps  over  dangerous  ground," 
she  said  with  a  catch  in  her  breath. 

"You  would  have  me  to  believe  that  I  am  a  brave 
man,  so  I  am  determined  to  court  the  danger  of  your 
displeasure.  How  did  you  happen  to  marry  this  old 
and  clawless  lion?" 

She  did  not  exhibit  the  faintest  sign  of  surprise  or 


146  NEDRA 

discomfiture,  certainly  not  of  anger.  Instead,  she 
looked  frankly  into  his  eyes  and  answered:  "That 
is  what  I  thought  you  would  ask  me.  I  shall  not 
refuse  to  answer.  I  married  because  I  wanted  to 
do  so." 

"What!"  exclaimed  he  incredulously.  "I  had  hoped 
— er — I  mean,  feared  that  you  had  been — ah — sort  of 
forced  into  it,  you  know." 

"Since  my  marriage  I  have  discovered,  however,  that 
there  is  no  fool  like  the  ambitious  fool,"  she  went  on 
as  if  he  had  not  spoken.  "Do  you  understand  what 
I  mean?" 

"That  you  married  for  position?" 

"That  I  married  simply  to  become  Lady  Hunting- 
ford." 

"And  you  did  not  love  him  at  all  ?"  There  was  some 
thing  like  disgust,  horror  in  Hugh's  voice. 

"Love  him?"  she  exclaimed  scornfully,  and  he  knew 
as  much  as  if  she  had  spoken  volumes.  Then  her  face 
became  rigid  and  cold.  For  the  first  time  he  saw  the 
hard  light  of  self-mastery  in  her  eyes.  "I  made  my 
choice ;  I  shall  abide  by  it  to  the  end  as  steadf astfully 
as  if  I  were  the  real  rock  which  you  may  think  me  to 
be.  There  is  nothing  for  me  to  tell — nothing  more 
that  I  will  tell  to  you.  Are  you  not  sorry  that  you 
know  such  a  woman  as  I?  Have  you  not  been  pick 
ing  me  to  pieces  and  casting  me  with  your  opinions  to 
the  four  winds?" 

"I  am  truly  sorry  for  you,"  was  all  that  he  could 
say. 


THE   HARLEQUIN'S  ERRAND      147 

"You  mean  that  you  despise  me,"  she  cried  bitterly. 
"Men  usually  think  that  of  such  women  as  I.  They 
do  not  give  us  a  hearing  with  the  heart,  only  with 
the  cruel,  calculating  brain.  Think  of  it,  Mr.  Ridge, 
I  have  never  known  what  it  means  to  love.  I  have 
been  loved ;  but  in  all  my  life  there  has  been  no  awak 
ening  of  a  passion  like  that  which  sends  Grace  Vernon 
around  the  world  to  give  herself  to  you.  I  know  that 
love  exists  for  other  people.  I  have  seen  it — have  al 
most  felt  it  in  them  when  they  are  near  me.  And  yet 
it  is  all  so  impossible  to  me." 

"You  are  young — very  young,"  he  said.  "Love 
may  come  to  you — some  day." 

"It  will  be  envy — not  love,  I  fear.  I  threw  away 
every  hope  for  love  two  years  ago — when  I  was  trans 
formed  from  the  ambitious  Miss  Beresford  to  Lady 
Huntingford,  now  thoroughly  satiated.  It  was  a  bad 
bargain  and  it  has  wounded  more  hearts  than  one. 
I  am  not  sorry  to  have  told  you  this.  It  gives  relief 
to — to  something  I  cannot  define.  You  despise  me, 
I  am  sure — 

"No,  no!  How  can  you  say  that?  You  are  paying 
the  penalty  for  your — of  your " 

"Say  it!  Crime." 

"For  your  mistake,  Lady  Huntingford.  We  all 
make  mistakes.  Some  of  us  pay  for  them  more  bit 
terly  than  others,  and  none  of  us  is  a  judge  of  human 
nature  except  from  his  own  point  of  view.  I  am  afraid 
you  don't  feel  the  true  sympathy  I  mean  to  convey. 
Words  are  faulty  with  me  to-night.  It  shall  be  my 


148  NEDRA 

pleasure  to  forget  what  you  have  confessed  to  me. 
It  is  as  if  I  never  had  heard." 

"Some  men  would  presume  greatly  upon  what  I  have 
told  to  you.  You  are  too  good,  I  know,  to  be  any 
thing  but  a  true  friend,"  she  said. 

"I  think  I  understand  you,"  he  said,  a  flush  rising 
to  his  temples.  After  all,  she  was  a  divine  creature. 
"You  shall  always  find  me  the  true  friend  you  think 
I  am." 

"Thank  you."  They  were  silent  for  a  long  time, 
gazing  out  over  the  sombre  plain  of  water  in  mel 
ancholy  review  of  their  own  emotions.  At  last  she 
murmured  softly,  wistfully,  "I  feel  like  an  outcast. 
My  life  seems  destined  to  know  none  of  the  joys  that 
other  women  have  in  their  power  to  love  and  to  be 
loved."  The  flush  again  crept  into  his  cheek. 

"You  have  not  met  the  right  man,  Lady  Hunting- 
ford,"  he  said. 

"Perhaps  that  is  true,"  she  agreed,  smiling  faintly. 

"The  world  is  large  and  there  is  but  one  man  in  it 
to  whom  you  can  give  your  heart,"  he  said. 

"Why  should  any  man  desire  possession  of  a  worth 
less  bit  of  ice?"  she  asked,  her  eyes  sparkling  again. 

"The  satisfaction  of  seeing  it  melt,"  he  responded. 

She  thought  long  over  this  reply. 


CHAPTER    XIH 
THE    CONFESSION   OF    VEATH 

HUGH,  have  you  observed  anything  strange  in  Mr. 
Veath  lately?" 

The  interrogation  came  suddenly  from  Grace,  the 
next  morning,  on  deck.  They  had  been  discussing 
the  plans  for  a  certain  day  in  May,  and  all  the  time 
there  was  evidence  of  trouble  in  her  eyes.  At  last  she 
had  broached  a  subject  that  had  been  on  her  mind  for 
days. 

"Can't  say  that  I  have."  The  answer  was  somewhat 
brusque. 

"I  am  convinced  of  one  thing,"  she  said  hurriedly, 
coming  direct  to  the  point.  "He  is  in  love  with  me." 

"The  scoundrel!"  gasped  Hugh,  stopping  short  and 
turning  very  white.  "How  dare  he  do  such " 

"Now,  don't  be  absurd,  dear.  I  can't  see  what  he 
finds  in  me  to  love,  but  he  has  a  perfect  right  to  the 
emotion,  you  know.  He  doesn't  know,  dear." 

"Where  is  he?  I'll  take  the  emotion  out  of  him  in 
short  order.  Ah,  ha!  Don't  look  frightened!  I  un 
derstand.  You  love  him.  I  see  it  all.  It's  as 

"Stop!  You  have  no  right  to  say  that,"  she  ex 
claimed,  her  eyes  flashing  dangerously.  His  heart 
smote  him  at  once  and  he  sued  humbly  for  pardon. 


150  NEDRA 

He  listened  to  her  views  concerning  the  hapless  In- 
dianian,  and  it  was  not  long  before  he  was  heart  and 
head  in  sympathy  with  Veath. 

"Poor  fellow!  When  I  told  him  last  night  that  I 
was  to  be  married  within  a  year  he  actually  trembled 
from  head  to  foot.  I  never  was  so  miserable  over  a 
thing  in  my  life,"  she  said  dismally.  "Really,  Hugh, 
I  can't  bear  to  think  of  him  finding  out  how  we  have 
played  with  him." 

"Shall  I  tell  him  all  about  it?"  asked  he  in  troubled 
tones. 

"Then  I  should  not  be  able  to  look  him  in  the  face. 
Dear  me,  elopements  have  their  drawbacks,  haven't 
they?" 

Other  passengers  joined  them,  Veath  and  Lady 
Huntingford  among  them.  In  the  group  were 
Captain  Shadburn,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Evarts,  Mr.  Higs- 
worth  and  his  daughter  Rosella,  Lieutenant  Ham 
ilton — a  dashing  young  fellow  who  was  an  old  and 
particularly  good  friend  of  Lady  Huntingford. 
Hugh  noted,  with  strange  satisfaction,  that  Hamilton 
seemed  unusually  devoted  to  Miss  Higsworth.  In  a 
most  casual  manner  he  took  his  stand  at  the  rail  be 
side  her  Ladyship,  who  had  coaxed  Captain  Shad- 
burn  to  tell  them  his  story  of  the  great  typhoon. 

Presently,  a  chance  came  to  address  her. 

"Grace  tells  me  that  your  name  is  an  odd  one,  for  a 
girl — woman,  I  mean — Tennyson.  Were  you  named 
for  the  poet?" 

"Yes.      My  father  knew  him  well.      Odd,  isn't  it? 


THE  CONFESSION  OF  VEATH     151 

My  friends  call  me  Lady  Tennys.  By  the  way,  you 
have  not  told  Grace  what  I  told  you  last  night  on 
deck,  have  you?"  she  asked. 

"I  should  say  not.  Does  she  suspect  that  you  know 
her  secret  and  mine?"  he  asked  in  return. 

"She  does  not  dream  that  I  know.  Ah,  I  believe  I 
am  beginning  to  learn  what  love  is.  I  worship  your 
sweetheart,  Hugh  Ridgeway." 

"If  you  could  love  as  she  loves  me,  Lady  Hunting- 
ford,  you  might  know  what  love  really  is." 

"What  a  strange  thing  it  must  be  that  you  and  she 
can  know  it  and  I  cannot,"  she  mused,  looking  wist 
fully  at  the  land  afar  off. 

At  Aden  everybody  went  ashore  while  the  ship  coaled 
at  Steamer  Point,  on  the  western  side  of  the  rock,  three 
miles  from  the  town  proper.  Multitudes  of  Jewish 
ostrich-feather  merchants  and  Somali  boys  gave  the 
travellers  amusement  at  the  landing  and  in  the  coast 
part  of  the  town.  The  Americans  began  to  breathe 
what  Hugh  called  a  genuinely  oriental  atmosphere. 

They  were  far  from  Aden  when  night  came  down 
and  with  it  the  most  gorgeous  sunset  imaginable. 
Everybody  was  on  deck.  The  sky  was  aflame,  the 
waters  blazed  and  all  the  world  seemed  about  to  be 
swept  up  in  the  wondrous  conflagration.  Late  in  the 
afternoon  a  bank  of  clouds  had  grown  up  from  the 
western  line,  and  as  the  sun  dropped  behind  them 
they  glowed  with  the  intensity  of  fiercely  fanned  coals 
of  huge  dimensions.  At  last  the  fiery  hues  faded  away, 
the  giant  holocaust  of  the  skies  drew  to  an  end,  and 


152  NEDRA 

the  soft  afterglow  spread  across  the  dome,  covering 
it  with  a  tranquil  beauty  more  sublime  than  words 
can  paint. 

Grace  looked  eagerly  among  the  impressed  spectators 
for  Henry  Veath.  Somehow  she  longed  for  him  to 
see  all  this  beauty  that  had  given  her  so  much  pleas 
ure.  He  was  not  there  and  she  was  conscious  of  a 
guilty  depression.  She  was  sitting  with  Hugh  and 
Lady  Huntingford  when,  long  afterward,  Veath  ap 
proached. 

"I'd  like  a  word  with  you,  Hugh,"  he  said  after  the 
greetings,  "when  the  ladies  have  gone  below." 

"It  is  getting  late  and  I  am  really  very  tired,"  said 
Grace.  It  was  quite  dark,  or  they  could  have  seen 
that  her  face  was  pale  and  full  of  concern.  She  knew 
instinctively  what  it  was  that  Veath  wanted  to  say  to 
Hugh.  Then  she  did  something  she  had  never  done 
before  in  the  presence  of  another.  She  walked  quickly 
to  Hugh's  side,  bent  over  and  kissed  his  lips,  almost 
as  he  gasped  in  astonishment. 

"Good-night,  dear,"  she  said,  quite  audibly,  and  was 
gone  with  Lady  Huntingford.  The  astounded  lover 
was  some  time  in  recovering  from  the  surprise  inspired 
by  her  unexpected  act.  It  was  the  first  time  she  had 
ever  been  sisterly  in  that  fashion  before  the  eyes  of 
others. 

"I  hope  I  have  said  nothing  to  offend  them,"  said 
Veath  miserably.  "Was  I  too  abrupt?" 

"Not  in  the  least.  They've  seen* enough  for  one 
night  anyhow,  and  I  guess  they  were  only  waiting 


THE  CONFESSION  OF  VEATH     163 

for  an  excuse  to  go  below,"  replied  Hugh.  To  him 
self  he  said,  "I  wonder  what  the  dickens  Grace  did 
that  for?  And  why  was  Lady  Huntingford  so  will 
ing  to  leave?" 

Veath  sat  nervously  wriggling  his  thumbs,  plainly 
ill  at  ease.  His  jaw  was  set,  however,  and  there  was  a 
look  in  his  eyes  which  signified  a  determination  to  brave 
it  out. 

"You  know  me  pretty  well  by  this  time,  Hugh,"  he 
said.  Hugh  awoke  from  his  abstraction  and  displayed 
immediate  interest.  "You  know  that  I  am  straight 
forward  and  honest,  if  nothing  else.  There  is  also 
in  my  make-up  a  pride  which  you  may  never  have 
observed  or  suspected,  and  it  is  of  this  that  I  want  to 
speak  before  attempting  to  say  something  which  will 
depend  altogether  upon  the  way  you  receive  the  in 
troduction." 

"Go  ahead,  Henry.  You're  serious  to-night,  and 
I  can  see  that  something  heavy  is  upon  your 
mind." 

"It  is  a  very  serious  matter,  I  can  assure  you.  Well, 
as  you  perhaps  know  from  my  remarks  or  allusions 
on  previous  occasions,  I  am  a  poor  devil.  I  have  noth 
ing  on  earth  but  the  salary  I  can  earn,  and  you  can 
guess  what  that  will  amount  to  in  Manila.  My  father 
educated  me  as  best  he  could,  and  I  worked  my  way 
through  college  after  he  had  given  me  to  understand 
that  he  was  unable  to  send  me  there  himself.  When  I 
was  graduated,  I  accepted  a  position  with  a  big  firm 
in  its  engineering  service.  Within  a  year  I  was  noti- 


154.  NEDRA 

fied  that  I  could  have  a  five  months'  lay-off,  as  they 
call  it.  At  the  end  of  that  period,  if  matters  im 
proved,  I  was  to  have  my  place  back.  Out  of  my 
wages  I  saved  a  couple  of  hundred  dollars,  but  it 
dwindled  as  I  drifted  through  weeks  of  idleness.  There 
was  nothing  for  me  to  do,  try  as  I  would  to  find  a 
place.  It  was  a  hard  pill  to  swallow,  after  four 
years  of  the  kind  of  work  I  had  done  in  college,  but 
I  had  to  throw  every  plan  to  the  winds  and  go  to 
the  Philippines.  My  uncle,  who  is  rich,  sent  me  money 
enough  to  prepare  for  the  voyage,  and  here  I  am, 
sneaking  off  to  the  jungles,  disgusted,  discouraged 
and  disappointed.  To-night  I  sit  before  you  with  less 
than  one  hundred  dollars  as  the  sum  total  of  my 
earthly  possessions." 

"By  George,  Veath,  just  let  me  know  how  much  you 
need —  "  broke  in  Hugh  warmly,  but  the  other  silenced 
him,  smiling  sadly. 

"I'm  greatly  obliged  to  you,  but  I  don't  believe  it 
is  money  that  I  want  now — at  least,  not  borrowed 
money.  When  you  told  me  that  your  sister  was  to 
become  a  missionary,  I  inferred  that  you  were  not 
burdened  with  worldly  goods,  and  I  felt  at  home  with 
you  both — more  so  than  I  should,  I  believe — 

"Oh,  the  devil !" 

"But  a  few  days  ago  your  sister  told  me  that  she 
is  not  to  be  a  missionary  and  that  she  is  rich  enough 
to  make  this  trip  to  the  Orient  for  mere  pleasure — 
oh,  well,  you  know  better  than  I  how  rich  you  both 
are."  His  voice  was  low  and  unsteady.  "I  don't 


THE  CONFESSION  OF  VEATH     155 

know  why  you  should  have  told  me  that  she — she  was 
to  be  a  missionary." 

"It  was — I  did  it  for  a  little  joke  on  her,  honestly  I 
did,"  mumbled  Hugh. 

"And  it  was  a  serious  one  for  me.  Before  I  knew 
of  her  real  position  she  seemed  more  approachable  to 
me,  more  as  if  I  could  claim  her  friendship  on  the 
grounds  of  mutual  sympathy.  I  was  deceived  into 
believing  our  lots  not  vastly  unequal,  and  I  have 
suffered  more  than  I  can  tell  you  by  the  disparity 
which  I  now  know  exists." 

"But  what  clifference  can  it  make  whether  we  are 
rich  or  poor?  We  can  still  be  friends,"  said  Hugh 
eagerly. 

"It  was  when  I  believed  your  sister  to  be  a  missionary 
that  I  learned  to  love  her  better  than  all  else  in  this 
world.  Now  do  you  understand?" 

"Great  Scott!"  gasped  his  listener,  starting  from 
his  chair.  Now  he  realised  that  she  had  not  been  mis 
taken  in  her  fears.  "Does  she  know  this?"  he  man 
aged  to  ask. 

"No,  and  I  dare  not  tell  her — I  cannot.  I  had  to 
tell  some  one,  and  to  whom  should  I  confess  it  if  not 
to  the  brother  of  the  woman  I  love?  It  is  no  disgrace, 
no  dishonor  to  her.  You  cannot  blame  me  for  being 
honest  with  you.  Some  day  after  you  have  gone  back 
to  America  you  can  tell  her  that  I  love  her  and  always 
will.  She  has  intimated  to  me  that  she  is  to  marry 
another  man,  so  what  chance  is  there  for  a  poor 
wretch  like  I?  I  don't  see  how  I  have  endured  the 


156  NEDRA 

awakening  from  the  dreams  I  have  had.  I  even  went 
so  far  as  to  imagine  a  little  home  in  Manila,  after  I 
had  won  her  from  the  mission  field  and  after  I  had  laid 
by  the  savings  of  a  year  or  two.  I  had  planned  to 
fairly  starve  myself  that  I  might  save  enough  to  make 

a  home  for  her  and — and "  but  he  could  say  no 

more.  Hugh  heard  the  sob  and  turned  sick  at  heart. 
To  what  a  pass  their  elopement  had  come ! 

Above  all  things,  how  could  he  comfort  the  unfor 
tunate  man?  There  was  no  word  of  encouragement, 
no  word  of  hope  to  be  given.  The  deepest  pity  he 
had  ever  felt  went  out  to  Henry  Veath;  the  greatest 
remorse  he  had  ever  known  stung  his  soul.  Should 
he  tell  Veath  the  truth?  Could  he  do  it? 

"Do  you  see  my  position?"  asked  Veath  steadily, 
after  a  long  silence.  "I  could  never  hope  to  provide 
for  her  as  she  has  been  accustomed  to  living,  and  I 
have  too  much  pride  to  allow  my  wife  to  live  other 
than  the  way  in  which  I  would  have  to  live." 

"She  may  not  love  you,"  said  Hugh,  suddenly  hope 
ful. 

"But  I  could  win  her  love.  I'm  sure  I  could,  Hugh. 
Even  though  she  is  pledged  to  another  man,  I  could 
love  her  so  powerfully  that  a  new  love  would  be  in 
spired  in  her  for  me.  You  don't  know  how  I  love 
her.  Hugh,  you  are  not  angry  with  me  for  having 
told  you  this?" 

"Angry?  Great  Heavens,  no!  I'm  heartbroken 
over  it,"  cried  Hugh.  There  were  traces  of  tears  in 
his  eyes. 


THE  CONFESSION  OF  VEATH     157 

"You  know  how  hopeless  it  is  for  me,"  went  on 
Veath,  "and  I  hope  you  will  remember  that  I  have 
been  honest  and  plain  with  you.  Before  we  part  in 
Manila  I  may  tell  her,  but  that  is  all.  I  believe  I 
should  like  to  have  her  know  that  I  love  her.  She 
can't  think  badly  of  me  for  it,  I'm  sure." 

Hugh  did  not  answer.  He  arose  and  silently  grasped 
the  hand  of  the  other,  who  also  had  come  to  his  feet. 

"I  would  to  God  that  I  could  call  you  brother," 
said  he. 

"Don't  say  it!  It  is  too  wild  an  improbability," 
cried  Veath. 

"Yes;  it  is  more  than  that:  it  is  an  impossibility." 

"If  in  the  end  I  should  conclude  to  tell  Miss  Ridge 
of  my  feelings,  will  you  tell  me  now  that  I  may  do 
so  with  your  permission?" 

"But  there  is  no  hope,"  cried  Hugh  miserably. 

"I  do  not  ask  for  hope.  I  shall  not  ask  her  to  love 
me  or'to  be  my  wife.  I  may  want  to  tell  her  that  I 
love  her,  that's  all.  You  can  have  no  objection  to 
that,  Hugh." 

"I  have  no  objection,"  murmured  Ridgeway,  a  chill 
striking  deep  into  his  heart. 


CHAPTER  XIV 
ONE  LOVE  AGAINST  ANOTHER 

RIDGEWAY  passed  another  sleepless  night.  Had  not 
Veath  said  he  could  win  her  love,  even  though  it  were 
pledged  to  another?  The  thought  gave  birth  to  a 
fear  that  he  was  not  perfectly  sure  of  her  love,  and 
that  it  might  turn  to  Henry  Veath,  after  all.  In 
the  early  morning  hours,  between  snatches  of  sleep, 
he  decided  to  ask  Lady  Huntingford's  advice,  after 
explaining  to  her  the  dilemma  in  full.  He  would  also 
tell  Grace  of  Veath's  declaration,  putting  her  on  guard. 
Breakfast  time  found  the  sea  heavy  and  the  ship 
rolling  considerably,  but  at  least  three  people  gave 
slight  notice  to  the  weather.  Hugh  was  sober  and 
morose ;  Veath  was  preoccupied  and  unnatural ;  Grace 
was  restless  and  uneasy.  Lady  Huntingford,  who 
came  in  while  they  were  eating,  observed  this  condi 
tion  almost  immediately,  and  smiled  knowingly,  yet 
sadly.  Later  Hugh  Ridgeway  drew  her  to  a  secluded 
corner  and  exploded  his  bomb.  Her  cool  little  head 
readily  devised  a  plan  which  met  his  approval,  and 
he  hurried  off  to  warn  Grace  before  it  was  too  late. 
Lady  Huntingford  advised  him  to  tell  Veath  nothing 
of  the  elopement,  allowing  him  to  believe  as  he  had  all 
along,  but  suggested  a  radical  change  in  their  future 


ONE  LOVE  AGAINST  ANOTHER     159 

plans.  It  was  her  advice  that  they  go  on  to  Japan 
and  be  married. 

At  first  Grace  demurred  to  this  plan,  which  he  neces 
sarily  proposed  as  his  own,  holding  that  it  would  be 
absolutely  cruel  to  desert  Veath  at  the  last  minute. 
Finally  she  agreed  to  the  compromise  and  kissed  him 
with  tears  in  her  eyes. 

Days  passed  and  the  strain  grew  more  tense  than 
ever.  The  Tempest  Queen  was  nearing  the  Archi 
pelago,  after  the  stops  at  Penang  and  Singapore.  At 
Hong  Kong  the  Manila-bound  passengers  were  to  be 
transferred  to  one  of  the  small  China  Sea  steamers. 
The  weather  had  been  rough  and  ugly  for  many  days. 
Lady  Huntingford  had  not  left  her  stateroom  in  two 
days.  Grace  was  with  her  a  greater  portion  of  the 
time,  ministering  to  her  wants  gently  and  untiringly. 
Ridgeway  and  Veath,  anxious  and  troubled,  wandered 
aimlessly  about  the  ship,  smoking  cigar  after  cigar, 
praying  for  a  cessation  of  the  ugly  weather.  Finally, 
all  passengers  were  peremptorily  forbidden  the  deck. 
The  skilled  sailors  were  in  constant  danger  of  being 
washed  overboard.  Captain  Shadburn  admitted  that 
they  were  being  driven  from  their  course  by  the  fury 
of  the  typhoon.  Secretly  he  feared  that  the  Queen 
might  rush  upon  a  reef  at  night. 

Dinner  on  the  second  violent  evening  was  a  sombre 
affair.  Lady  Huntingford,  pale,  sweet  and  wan,  made 
her  appearance  with  Grace,  occupying  Veath's  seat, 
that  gentleman  moving  tt  the  next  chair,  its  original 
occupant  being  confined  to  his  berth.  Lord  Hunting" 


160  NEDRA 

ford,  austere  and  imperturbable,  entered  some  time  be 
fore  his  wife  and  purposely  ignored  her  when  she 
came  in. 

As  the  party  arose  from  the  table,  a  heavy  lurch  of 
the  boat  threw  Grace  headlong  into  Veath's  arms.  By 
a  superhuman  effort  he  managed  to  keep  his  feet.  He 
smiled  down  at  her;  but  there  was  something  so  in 
sistent  in  the  smile  that  it  troubled  her. 

"It's  an  ill  wind  that  blows  no  good,"  said  Veath 
softly. 

"What  blows  well  for  one  may  blow  ill  for  another," 
she  responded  a  little  coldly,  though  she  did  not  re 
fuse  the  proffered  arm;  and  they  staggered  toward 
the  doorway. 

As  they  passed  into  the  main  saloon  he  suddenly 
asked  her  if  she  would  let  him  speak  to  her  of  a  mat 
ter  that  long  had  been  on  his  mind.  She  did  not  look 
him  in  the  face,  but  she  knew  it  was  white  and  de 
termined.  The  time  had  come  when  he  was  to  tell 
her  that  he  loved  her.  He  begged  for  a  moment's  time 
and  gained  her  unspoken  permission.  They  sank  to 
a  couch  near  the  stairway,  Grace  giving  a  last  helpless, 
hopeless  glance  at  Hugh  as  he  and  his  companion 
passed  from  the  apartment. 

"I  can  see  by  the  manner  in  which  you  act  that  you 
know  what  I  want  to  say  to  you.  It  is  also  plain 
to  me  that  you  would  rather  not  hear  me,"  he  said, 
after  a  moment. 

"Please  do  not  say  it,"  she  entreated,  and  he  saw  the 
little  hope  that  he  had  been  nourishing  dashed  away. 


ONE  LOVE  AGAINST  ANOTHER     161 

"I  did  not  dream  until  a  few  moments  ago  that  you 
had  discerned  my  love  for  you,  Miss  Ridge,  but  I  am 
not  sorry  that  I  have  been  so  transparent.  How  you 
have  guessed  my  secret  I  cannot  imagine.  I  tried 
to  keep  it  from  you,"  he  said,  as  if  he  had  wounded  her. 
"Perhaps  your  brother  told  you." 

She  was  on  the  point  of  telling  him  that  Hugh  was 
not  her  brother,  but  something  checked  the  impulse  and 
she  could  only  answer  by  shaking  her  head. 

"You  told  me  that  you  expect  to  marry  another 
man,  but  that  has  not  kept  me  from  telling  you  that 
I  love  you,  nor  will  it  prevent  me  from  trying  to 
win  your  love.  Pride,  if  nothing  else,  has  kept  my 
lips  sealed,  for  what  right  have  I  to  ask  any  woman 
to  share  my  lot?  In  sheer  humiliation  I  must  tell 
you  that  my  life  looks  like  a  failure  to  me.  I  have 
a  hard  struggle  ahead  of  me.  You  may  say  that  I 
am  young  and  strong,  but  I  cannot,  for  my  soul,  see 
anything  bright  ahead."  His  voice  trembled  and  she 
glanced  up  at  his  face.  He  was  looking  at  the  dia 
mond  that  sparkled  on  her  left  hand. 

"You  have  no  right  to  say  that  life  is  a  failure; 
you  have  no  right  to  lie  down  on  your  arms  and  give 
up  the  fight.  That  is  the  act  of  a  coward.  After  all, 
it  is  not  the  way  to  win  a  woman's  love." 

"You  don't  mean — is  it  possible  that  you  could " 

he  began. 

"No,  no!  You  must  not  hope.  I  love  another  as 
dearly  as  you  love  me.  But  I  will  not  have  you  say 
that  you  cannot  succeed  in  life.  I  know  you  are 


162  NEDRA 

strong,  and  I  know  you  are  determined.  There  is 
nothing  impossible  to  you,"  she  said  hurriedly,  seeking 
feverishly  to  draw  him  from  his  purpose.  "When  first 
we  met  you  were  cheerful  and  hopeful,  strong  and 
full  of  life.  Then  some  one  came  into  your  life  and 
you  saw  a  black  cloud  of  despair  arise.  It  came  up 
easily  and  you  can  drive  it  away  just  as  easily.  It 
is  not  of  your  nature  to  give  up,  I  know.  You  can 
win  fame  and  fortune  and  the  love  of  some  one  much 
worthier  than  I." 

"If  I  live  to  be  a  thousand  I  shall  love  none  as  I 
love  you,"  he  said  simply.  "If  you  loved  me  I  could 
win  against  all  the  world.  Your  wealth  is  a  natural 
barrier  between  poor  love  and  rich  pride,  both  true 
possessions  of  mine.  But  for  the  latter  the  former 
would  win.  Can  you  understand?"  he  asked  almost 
vehemently. 

"I — I — no,  I  do  not  understand  you,"  she  said  panic- 
stricken.  His  eyes  were  flashing  again  in  the  same 
old  way  and  his  voice,  low  pitched,  had  a  gallant 
ring. 

"I  mean  I'd  win  your  love  and  I'd  make  you  my 
wife." 

"Mr.  Veath !  How  can  you — how  dare  you —  "  she 
began,  arising  indignantly,  yet  a  trifle  carried  away 
by  his  impetuous  manner.  Her  heart  was  thumping 
tumultuously  and  she  dared  not  look  into  his  eyes. 

"Dare!"  he  cried.  "You  urge  me  to  fight  it  out 
and  die  in  the  trenches,  as  it  were,  and  now  you  ask 
me  why  I  dare  tell  you  what  I'd  do  under  certain 


ONE  LOVE  AGAINST  ANOTHER     163 

conditions.  I  merely  tell  you  what  I  could  and  would 
do  if  I  could  change  the  conditions." 

"You  are  a  trifle  over-confident,  Mr.  Veath,"  she  said 
coldly.  "Good-night." 

"Don't  be  angry,  please,"  he  cried  in  humility.  "You 
have  spoken  to  me  in  a  way  that  has  awakened  a 
new  spirit — the  spirit  that  men  call  'do  or  die.'  To 
night  the  storm  rages  and  we  are  all  in  danger.  I 
feel  that  in  an  hour  like  this  and  in  a  place  like  this 
I  am  worth  more  than  I  have  ever  been  or  could  be 
in  any  other  position.  The  fierceness  of  the  night 
and  the  sting  of  your  advice  combine  to  give  life  and 
nerve  to  my  weak  heart.  I  am  not  the  man  who 
begged  you  a  moment  ago  to  listen  to  the  weakness 
of  a  despairing  lover;  it  is  another  man,  another 
Henry  Veath  who  talks  to  you  now.  From  this  in 
stant  I  shall  begin  the  battle  against  old  conditions 
and  you  shall  be  the  spoils  of  battle.  Grace,  look  at 
me !  I  am  going  to  show  you  what  real  determina 
tion  means.  I  want  you  and  I'll  win  you."  His  tall 
figure  straightened,  his  blue  eyes  gleamed  and  flashed 
with  the  fire  of  enthusiasm.  The  timid,  fearful  Veath 
was  gone,  and  in  his  stead  stood  the  valiant,  aggres 
sive,  inspired  contestant. 

The  rolling  of  the  ship  sent  her  staggering  toward 
him,  and  he  caught  her  by  the  arms.  Steadying  him 
self  against  the  staircase,  he  cried  in  her  bewildered 
ear: 

"I  love  you  better  than  all  else  in  the  world.  You 
are  a  part  of  my  life,  all  of  my  joy.  Do  you  think 


164  NEDRA 

I  can  give  you  up  now  that  I  have  found  the  courage 
to  begin  the  struggle?  I'll  win  my  way  and  I'll  win 
your  love.  Nothing  but  death  can  stop  me  now. 
Come !  Don't  look  as  though  you  hate  me  for  it." 

"I  do  not  hate  you,"  she  said  humbly,  almost  glaring 
into  his  bright  eyes,  unable  to  turn  from  the  love  which 
governed  them  so  completely.  "But  you  must  not 
talk  like  this.  I  cannot  listen  to  you.  Mr.  Veath, 
there  is  no  possible  hope." 

"The  hope  to  win  and  the  will  to  win  are  two  dif 
ferent  propositions,  and  it  is  the  latter  under  which 
I  am  enlisted.  To  me  it  is  worth  fighting  for  to 
the  end  of  time." 

"Oh,  you  must  not  say  these  things  to  me,"  she  cried 
fiercely,  trying  to  escape  from  his  eyes. 

"I  shall  not  say  another  word  to  you  after  to-night 
until  I  am  sure  I  have  won  the  victory.  Then  I 
shall  ask  you  to  be  my  wife.  To-morrow  I'll  tell  your 
brother  I  am  bound  to  win.  He  must  know  my  honest 
intentions." 

"My  brother!"  she  gasped.  Her  knees  grew  weak 
and  a  f  aintness  assailed  her  heart,  almost  to  overpower 
ing.  "You — you  must  not — shall  not  say  a  word  to 
Hugh.  I  forbid  you — I— 

"Why  are  you  so  agitated?  Why  am  I  not  to  speak 
to  him?  He  is  fair-minded,  and  I  know  he  likes  me." 

"You  don't  know  what  it  would  mean  to  me.  There 
is  something  you  do  not  know.  No,  no!  You  shall 
not  speak  to  Hugh."  It  was  her  turn  to  command, 
and  he  wavered. 


ONE  LOVE  AGAINST  ANOTHER     165 

"Your  will  is  the  law  which  I  obey.  He  shall  not 
know — not  now,  at  least,"  he  said.  "There  are  to  be 
but  two  factions  in  the  struggle,  then,  your  love 
against  mine." 

"You  forget  the — the  other  man,"  she  said,  sudden 
tears  springing  to  her  eyes. 

"I  think  only  of  one  woman,"  he  said  softly,  lov 
ingly. 

She  leaned  wearily  against  the  staircase,  her  hands 
clasping  the  railing.  There  was  a  piteous,  hopeless 
entreaty  in  the  dimming  eyes  as  she  turned  them  to 
his  and  tried  to  speak  calmly. 

"I  have  something  to  say  to  you — to-morrow.  Let 
us  say  good-night." 

"Nothing  you  can  say  will  alter  my  love.  When 
the  storm  to-night  is  at  its  worst  remember  that  I 
will  give  my  life  for  your  sake." 

She  did  not  answer,  but  her  hand  clasped  his  arm 
impulsively.  In  the  doorway  they  met  Hamilton  and 
Gregory,  just  from  the  captain,  their  faces  white  and 
fear-stricken.  Hugh  and  Lady  Huntingford  were 
hurrying  toward  them. 


CHAPTER  XV 
THE  WRECK  OF  THE  "TEMPEST  QUEEN" 

"WHAT'S  wrong?"  asked  Veath,  alarmed  by  the  agi 
tation  of  the  two  soldiers. 

"Captain  Shadburn  estimates  that  we  are  two  hun 
dred  miles  out  of  our  course,  away  to  the  south.  It's 
impossible  to  get  our  bearings  without  the  sun,  and 
the  Lord  only  knows  where  we're  running  to,"  said 
Hamilton,  holding  to  the  door  casing. 

Hugh  and  Lady  Huntingford  had  joined  the  others 
by  this  time  and  were  listening  with  blanched  faces  to 
the  men  in  uniform. 

"It's  as  black  as  ink  outside,"  faid  little  Lieutenant 
Gregory,  shivering  in  a  manner  most  unbecoming  in 
a  soldier.  "As  long  as  they  can  keep  the  boat  out 
of  the  trough  we'll  ride  the  waves  safely,  but  the 
deuced  danger  lies  in  the  reefs  and  little  islands.  We 
may  be  dashing  into  one  of  them  at  this  minute." 

"You're  a  cheerful  hero,"  cried  Hugh  indignantly. 
"What's  the  use  of  imagining  a  thing  like  that?  It's 
time  enough  to  think  about  it  when  we  strike  the  reef ; 
and,  besides,  it  can't  help  us  any  to  cry.  We  can't 
leave  the  ship  for  a  walk  back  to  dry  land.  We're  here 
to  see  the  thing  to  the  end,  no  matter  where  it  is,  and 
I  don't  believe  in  howling  before  we're  hurt." 


WRECK  OF  THE  "TEMPEST  QUEEN"  167 

"That's  right,"  agreed  Veath.  "Possibly  we're  out 
of  the  course.  That  happens  in  every  storm  that 
comes  up  at  sea." 

"But  there  are  hundreds  of  reefs  here  that  are  not 
even  on  the  chart,"  cried  Gregory. 

"Well,  there  have  been  thousands  of  ships  to  escape 
them  all,  I  fancy,"  said  Ridgeway  boldly.  The  two 
women  were  speechless. 

"And  there  have  been  thousands  of  storms,  too," 
added  Veath,  a  sort  of  wild  exultation  ringing  in 
his  voice,  plain  to  Grace  if  not  to  the  others. 

"Do  not  try  to  deceive  us,  gentlemen,"  wavered 
Lady  Tennys.  "We  can  be  a  great  deal  braver  if  we 
know  the  real  situation.  I  know  you  are  making  light 
of  this  dreadful  storm  out  of  consideration  for  Miss 
Ridge  and  myself,  but  don't  you  think  it  would  be 
better  if  we  were  told  the  worst?  Women  are  not 
always  the  greater  cowards." 

"Yes,  Hugh,  we  should  know  the  worst,"  said 
Grace  firmly.  "The  ship  is  rolling  frightfully,  and 
Lieutenant  Hamilton  has  said  enough  to  assure  us 
that  Captain  Shadburn  is  alarmed,  even  appre 
hensive." 

"Perhaps  I  am  too  much  of  an  optimist,  but  I  stick 
to  my  statement  that  while  we  are  in  some  danger 

-any  fool  can  see  that — we  are  by  no  means  lost," 
said  Hugh,  looking  at  Gregory  when  he  used  the  word 
fool. 

"As  long  as  the  engine  and  steering  apparatus  hold 
together  the  crew  of  the  ship  can  pull  her  through," 


168  NEDRA 

said  Veath.  "I  have  the  utmost  confidence  in  the 
boat  and  the  men." 

"But  all  the  men  on  the  ocean  cannot  keep  her  from 
striking  an  unseen  rock,  nor  could  any  ship  withstand 
such  a  shock,"  argued  the  young  Englishwoman 
bravely. 

"That's  right,  Lady  Tennys,"  quickly  cried  Hamil 
ton.  "I  don't  say  the  ship  will  get  the  worst  of  a 
straight  fight  against  the  sea,  but  we  won't  stand  the 
ghost  of  a  chance  if  we  strike  a  reef." 

"The  best  thing  we  all  can  do  is  to  find  some  place 
where  there  is  not  quite  so  much  danger  of  having 
our  brains  dashed  out  against  these  walls.  It's  get 
ting  so  that  I  can't  keep  my  feet  much  longer.  This 
is  no  time  to  be  taking  chances  of  a  broken  leg,  or  an 
arm  or  a  neck,  perhaps.  We'll  need  them  all  if  we  have 
to  swim  to  Hong  Kong." 

Despite  his  attempted  jocularity,  Ridgeway  was 
sorely  troubled.  Common  sense  told  him  that  they 
were  now  in  a  most  perilous  position.  The  dead 
reckoning  of  the  captain  and  his  chartmaster,  while 
able  to  determine  with  a  certain  degree  of  accuracy 
the  locality  in  which  the  ship  was  beating,  could  not 
possibly  account  for  the  exact  position  of  those  lit 
tle  islands.  He  began  to  think  of  the  life  preservers. 
A  feeble  smile  came  to  the  ladies  when  he  spoke  of 
swimming  to  Hong  Kong,  but  the  men,  Veath  in 
cluded,  looked  serious. 

"I  think  it  would  be  wise  if  we  make  every  prepara 
tion  to  leave  the  ship,  awful  as  the  prospect  may 


WRECK  OF  THE  "TEMPEST  QUEEN"  169 

seem.  My  judgment  is  that  we  should  take  time  by 
the  forelock.  It  will  be  too  late  after  the  crash  comes." 
Veath  said  this  solemnly,  and  a  deeper  sense  of  realiza 
tion  came  to  all  of  them.  Strange  to  say,  it  inspired 
energy  and  calmness  rather  than  weakness  and  panic. 

"The  life  preservers,  you  mean?"  almost  whispered 
Grace.  A  fearful  lurch  of  the  boat  caused  the  whole 
party  to  cling  desperately  to  the  supports.  Before 
he  could  answer  a  ship's  officer  came  scudding  down 
below. 

"Captain  Shadburn  says  that  every  one  is  to  pre 
pare  for  the  worst.  The  propeller's  smashed  and  we 
can't  live  in  this  sea.  Be  quick !"  cried  the  pale-faced 
sailor,  hurrying  onward.  In  an  inconceivably  short 
space  of  time  the  passages  and  saloons  were  crowded 
with  rushing  passengers.  Pandemonium  prevailed. 
Women  were  shrieking,  men  yelling  and  praying. 
Cooler  heads  were  utterly  powerless  to  subdue  the  crazy 
disorder.  Ridgeway  and  Veath  hurried  the  two  women 
to  their  staterooms,  plunging  along,  almost  falling 
with  the  savage  rolling  of  the  boat. 

"For  God's  sake,  hurry !"  called  Hamilton  from  afar. 
"We  are  turning  into  the  trough." 

How  our  friends  got  into  the  cumbersome  preservers 
and  prepared  themselves  for  the  end  they  could  never 
have  told.  Everything  seemed  a  blank,  the  whole 
world  whirled,  all  the  noises  in  the  universe  rolled  in 
their  ears.  Then  they  were  stumbling,  rolling,  tear 
ing  toward  the  upper  deck,  hardly  knowing  whither 
they  went  or  how  they  progressed.  Before,  behind, 


1TO  NEDRA 

beside  them  were  yelling,  maddened  men  and  women, 
rushing  upward  ruthlessly  into  the  very  waves  of  the 
ocean,  all  to  be  lost. 

On  the  steps  Hugh  and  Grace,  who  were  together  in 
advance  of  Veath  and  Lady  Tennys,  encountered  the 
latter's  husband.  He  had  fallen,  and  was  grovelling, 
cursing,  screaming,  praying  on  the  steps.  Hugh 
pulled  him  to  his  feet.  With  a  mad  yell  he  fled  on 
ward  and  upward.  At  the  top  he  was  checked  by  the 
sailors,  who  were  vainly  trying  to  keep  the  people 
back.  He  struggled  past  them  and  on  toward  the 
open  deck.  An  officer  caught  him  and  held  him  firmly 
until  Hugh,  Veath,  and  the  two  trembling  women  came 
up. 

"Get  back,  all  of  you!"  yelled  Shadburn.  "You 
can't  come  out  here.  Every  sailor  on  deck  has  been 
washed  overboard !" 

"Don't  let  us  sink!  Don't  let  us  sink!  For  God's 
sake !"  shrieked  Lord  Huntingford.  Then  he  saw  his 
wife.  "Save  me,  Tennys ;  we  are  lost !  We  are  lost !" 

A  great  wave  swept  over  the  deck,  washing  all  of 
them  back  into  the  companionway,  half  drowned. 

"Is  there  any  hope,  Mr.  Frayne?"  yelled  Hugh  to 
the  second  officer,  holding  himself  and  his  half-dead 
sweetheart  against  the  leaping  of  the  boat. 

"One  chance  in  a  million !  Stay  back  there  and  we'll 
try  the  boats'.  God  knows  they  can't  live  in  this  sea, 
but  they're  the  only  hope.  We'll  turn  clear  over  with 
the  next  big  wave.  Stay  back !"  he  yelled.  "We  are 
trying  to  get  the  boats  ready.  Stay  back !" 


WRECK  OF  THE  "TEMPEST  QUEEN"  171 

Hugh  and  Grace  from  where  they  clung  could  see 
the  great  black  mountains  of  water  rushing  upon 
them,  each  wave  a  most  terrifying  spectacle.  Then 
again  the  whole  dark,  seething  ocean  seemed  to  be  below 
them  and  they  were  flying  to  the  clouds.  The  breath 
of  relief  died  instantly,  for  again  the  helpless  ship 
sank  into  the  trough  and  the  foaming  mountains  tow 
ered  about  her.  Grace  hid  her  eyes  and  screamed  with 
terror.  Those  huge  murderous  waves  already  had 
swept  many  from  the  ship.  A  score  of  sailors  and 
as  many  courageous  soldiers  were  in  the  churn  of  the 
merciless  waters. 

Crash !  A  horrid  grating  sound,  splintering !  Then 
the  instantaneous  shock,  the  awful,  stunning  force  of 
a  frightful  blow  and  a  shipful  of  human  beings  were 
flung  violently  in  all  directions,  many  never  to  rise 
again.  The  Tempest  Queen  had  struck!  The  last 
chance  was  gone ! 

"My  God!"  groaned  the  captain.  "It's  all  over!" 
Then  he  roared :  "All  hands  !  All  hands !  Stations ! 
To  the  boats !  Stand  back  there !  Women  first !" 

Ridgeway,  dimly  realizing  that  the  end  had  come, 
staggered  to  his  feet  and  instinctively  reached  for 
the  body  of  the  woman  who  lay  before  him.  He  did 
not  know  that  she  was  conscious,  nor  did  he  know 
whether  the  ship  was  afloat  or  sinking.  A  gigantic 
wave  swept  over  her,  tons  of  water  pouring  in  upon 
them.  Blankly  he  dragged  her  to  the  opening  which 
led  to  the  watery  deck,  clinging  to  a  railing  with  all 
his  might.  He  was  gasping  for  breath,  his  life  almost 


172  NEDRA 

crushed  out  of  his  body.  It  required  all  his  strength 
to  drag  the  limp  form  safely  away  from  the  passage, 
through  which  now  poured  their  crazed  companions, 
rushing  headlong  into  the  sea. 

"In  the  name  of  God  what  shall  we  do?"  he  heard  a 
hoarse  voice  shout  in  his  ear.  It  was  Veath,  also 
burdened  with  the  helpless  form  of  a  woman. 

"It  is  death  here  and  death  there.  I  am  going  to 
trust  to  the  life  preservers,"  gasped  Ridgeway,  as 
another  wave  struck.  The  constant  crackling  and 
crashing  told  him  that  the  Tempest  Queen  was  being 
ground  to  pieces  on  the  rock  and  that  she  had  but  a 
few  minutes  to  live. 

"Wait,  Hugh,  we  may  get  off  in  a  boat,"  cried  the 
other,  but  he  was  not  heard.  Hugh  was  in  the  sea! 

Just  as  Veath  began  his  anguished  remonstrance  the 
ship  gave  a  tremendous  lurch,  an  overpowering  wave 
hurled  itself  upon  the  frail  shell  and  Hugh  Ridgeway's 
frenzied  grasp  on  the  rail  was  broken.  When  he  saw 
that  he  was  going,  he  threw  both  arms  about  the  girl 
he  had  brought  to  this  awful  fate,  and,  murmuring  a 
prayer,  whirled  away  with  the  waters  over  the  bat 
tered  deck-house  and  into  the  black  depths. 

They  shot  downward  into  the  sea  and  then  came  to 
the  hideous  surface,  more  dead  than  alive.  His  one 
thought  was  that  nobody  in  the  world  would  ever  know 
what  had  become  of  Hugh  Ridgeway  and  Grace  Ver- 
non. 


THE  NIGHT  AND  THE  MORNING 

GASPING  for  breath,  blinded,  terrified  beyond  all  im 
agination,  crying  to  God  from  his  heart,  Hugh  gave 
up  all  hope.  Fathoms  of  water  beneath  them,  tur 
bulent  and  gleeful  in  the  furious  dance  of  destruction ; 
mountains  of  water  above  them,  roaring,  swishing, 
growling  out  the  horrid  symphony  of  death!  High 
on  the  crest  of  the  wave  they  soared,  down  into  the 
chasm  they  fell,  only  to  shoot  upward  again,  whirling 
like  feathers  in  the  air. 

Something  bumped  violently  against  Ridgeway's 
side,  and,  with  the  instinct  of  a  drowning  man,  he 
grasped  for  the  object  as  it  rushed  away.  A  huge 
section  of  the  bowsprit  was  in  his  grasp  and  a  cry  of 
hope  arose  in  his  soul.  With  this  respite  came  the  feel 
ing,  strong  and  enduring,  that  he  was  not  to  die. 
That  ever-existing  spirit  of  confidence,  baffled  in  one 
moment,  flashes  back  into  the  hearts  of  all  men  when 
the  faintest  sign  of  hope  appears,  even  though  death 
has  already  begun  to  close  his  hand  upon  them. 
Nature  grasps  for  the  weakest  straw  and  clings  to 
life  with  an  assurance  that  is  sublime.  The  hope  that 
comes  just  before  the  end  is  the  strongest  hope  of  all. 

"For  God's  sake,  be  brave,  darling!     Cling  tight 


174  NEDRA 

and  be  careful  when  you  breathe,"  he  managed  to  cry 
in  her  ear.  There  was  no  answer,  but  he  felt  that  she 
had  heard. 

The  night  was  so  black  that  he  could  not  see  the 
spar  to  which  he  clung.  At  no  time  could  he  see  more 
than  the  fitful  gleam  of  dark  water  as  some  mysterious 
glimmer  was  produced  by  the  weird  machinery  of  the 
air.  He  could  hear  the  roar  of  the  mighty  waves, 
could  feel  the  uplifting  power  and  the  dash  downward 
from  seemingly  improbable  heights,  but  he  could  not 
see  the  cauldron  in  which  they  were  dancing. 

It  was  fortunate  that  he  could  not,  for  a  single 
glimpse  of  that  sea  in  all  its  fury  would  have  terrified 
him  beyond  control.  In  sheer  despair  he  would  have 
given  up  the  infinitesimal  claim  he  had  for  salvation 
and  welcomed  death  from  the  smothering  tons,  now 
so  bravely  battled  against. 

The  girl  to  whom  he  clung  and  whose  rigid  clasp 
was  still  about  his  neck  had  not  spoken,  and  scarcely 
breathed  since  the  plunge  into  the  sea.  At  times  he 
felt  utterly  alone  in  the  darkness,  so  deathlike  was  her 
silence.  But  for  an  occasional  spasmodic  indication  of 
fear  as  they  and  their  spar  shot  downward  from  some 
unusual  elevation,  he  might  have  believed  that  he  was 
drifting  with  a  corpse. 

Rolling,  tossing,  dragging  through  the  billows, 
clinging  to  the  friendly  spar,  Hugh  Ridegway  sped 
onward,  his  body  stiff  and  sensationless,  his  brain 
fogged  and  his  heart  dead  with  that  of  the  girl  to 
whom  he  clung  so  desperately.  At  last  the  monstrous 


THE   NIGHT   AND   THE    MORNING     175 

waves  began  to  show  their  outlines  to  his  blinding 
eyes.  The  blackness  of  the  dome  above  became  tinged 
with  a  discernible  shade  of  ever-increasing  bright 
ness.  A  thrill  shot  through  his  fagging  soul  as  he 
realized  that  the  long  night  was  ending  and  day  was 
dawning.  The  sun  was  coming  forth  to  show  him  his 
grave. 

Slowly  the  brightness  grew,  and  with  it  grew  the 
most  dreadful  aspect  that  ever  fell  upon  the  eye  of 
man — the  mighty  sea  in  all  its  fury.  Suddenly,  as  he 
poised  on  the  summit  of  a  huge  wave,  something  ahead 
struck  him  as  strange.  A  great  mass  seemed  to  rise 
from  the  ocean  far  away,  dim,  indistinct,  but  still 
plain  to  the  eye.  With  the  next  upward  sweep  he 
strained  his  eyes  in  the  waning  darkness  and  again 
saw  the  vast  black,  threatening,  uneven  mass. 

An  uncanny  terror  enveloped  him.  What  could  the 
strange  thing  be  that  appeared  to  be  rushing  toward 
him?  As  far  as  the  eye  could  see  on  either  side 
stretched  the  misty  shape.  The  sky  grew  brighter, 
a  faint  glow  became  apparent  ahead,  spreading  into  a 
splendor  whose  perfection  was  soon  streaked  with  bars 
of  red  and  yellow,  racing  higher  and  higher  into  the 
dome  above.  His  dull  brain  observed  with  wonder  that 
the  brightness  grew,  not  out  of  the  sea,  but  beyond 
the  great  object  ahead,  and  he  was  more  mystified 
than  ever.  The  tiny,  fiery  beams  seemed  to  spring 
from  the  dark,  ugly,  menacing  cloud,  or  whatever  it 
might  be.  Finally  he  realized  that  it  was  the  sun 
coming  into  the  heavens  from  the  east,  and — his  heart 


176  NEDRA 

roared  within  him  as  he  began  to  grasp  the  truth — 
the  great  black  mass  was  land! 

"Oh,  God!  It  is  land— land!"  he  tried  to  shriek. 
"Grace !  Grace !  Look  up  !  See !  The  land !" 

The  arms  about  his  neck  tightened  sharply  and  a 
low  moan  came  to  his  ears.  Slowly  and  painfully  he 
turned  his  head  to  look  at  the  face  that  had  been 
so  near  in  all  those  awful  hours  of  the  night,  unseen. 
His  heart  seemed  to  stop  beating  with  that  moan,  for 
it  bore  the  announcement  that  the  dear  one  was  still 
alive. 

It  was  still  too  dark  to  distinguish  her  features 
plainly.  The  face  was  wet  and  slimy  with  the  salt 
water;  her  hair  was  matted  over  the  forehead  and 
wrapped  in  ugly  strips  about  the  once  pretty  face, 
now  ghastly  with  the  signs  of  suffering,  fear  and 

— yes,  death,  he  thought,  as  he  strove  to  see  one  fa 
miliar  feature. 

Into  his  eyes  came  a  quizzical  stare  that  slowly 
changed  to  an  intense  look  of  bewilderment.  Grad 
ually  they  grew  wider  with  horror. 

The  death-like  face  was  not  that  of  the  girl  he  loved ! 

While  he  gazed  numbly,  almost  insanely,  upon  the 
closed  eyelids,  they  slowly  opened  and  a  pair  of  wild, 
dark  eyes  gazed  despairingly  into  his,  expressive  of 
timidity  more  than  fear.  The  trembling  lips  parted, 
but  the  effort  to  speak  ended  in  a  moan.  Again  the 
eyes  closed  and  her  arms  slipped  from  his  neck. 

Every  vestige  of  strength  left  him  with  this  startling 
discovery  and,  had  his  arm  been  anything  but  rigid 


THE   NIGHT   AND   THE   MORNING     177 

with  paralysis,  she  might  have  drifted  off  with  the  bil 
lows,  a  fate  which  her  voluntary  action  invited. 

A  great  wave  rushed  them  violently  forward  and  the 
next  moment  Ridgeway,  faint,  bewildered,  and  unable 
to  grasp  the  full  force  of  the  remarkable  ending  to 
that  night  in  the  water,  found  himself,  still  grasping 
his  limp  burden  and  the  broken  spar,  washed  far  upon 
the  sands.  A  second  wave  swept  them  higher,  and 
he  realized,  as  he  lay  gasping  on  the  edge  of  the 
waters,  that  the  vast  ocean  was  behind  him  and  the 
beautiful  woman  he  had  rescued  by  mistake. 


CHAPTER  XVII 
WAS  THE  SEA  KIND? 

HE  lost  consciousness  in  the  attempt  to  drag  himself 
and  his  companion  farther  up  the  beach.  His  arms 
and  legs  refused  to  move  in  response  to  his  efforts,  and 
the  last  he  remembered  was  that  his  body  was  stiff 
and  he  was  absolutely  powerless.  When  he  again 
opened  his  eyes  he  was  lying  on  a  grassy  sward  with 
spreading  green  branches  above  him.  For  some  min 
utes  he  lay  perfectly  still,  dimly  sensible  that  he  was 
alive,  but  utterly  unable  to  fix  his  whereabouts. 
Through  his  brain  there  still  roared  the  awful  waves ; 
in  his  eyes  there  still  lingered  the  vision  of  the  sea  as 
it  was  when  dawn  first  developed  the  picture. 

Fearing  that  he  could  not  lift  his  head,  he  rose  to  his 
trembling  elbow.  His  wide  eyes  swept  the  view  be 
fore  him.  There  was  the  sea  not  two  hundred  yards 
down  the  slope,  rushing  and  booming  upon  the  stretch 
of  sand  which  reached  within  fifty  feet  of  his  grassy 
bed.  Behind  him  grew  a  forest  of  queer,  tropical  trees, 
the  like  of  which  he  never  had  seen  before.  His  j  acket 
had  been  rolled  up  as  a  pillow  for  his  head ;  his  shoes 
and  stockings  were  off,  his  shirt  bosom  unbuttoned. 
Two  soggy  life  preservers  lay  near  by. 

At  last  he  caught  sight  of  a  woman,  alone,  forlorn, 


WAS   THE    SEA   KIND  ?  179 

the  picture  of  despondency.  Far  down  the  beach  to 
his  right  there  rose  a  rugged,  stony  formation,  ex 
tending  into  the  sea  and  rising  several  hundred  feet 
in  the  air.  At  the  base  of  this  rocky  promontory 
a  multitude  of  great  boulders  lay  scattered,  some  quite 
large  and  jagged,  others  insignificant  in  size. 

Upon  one  of  the  smaller  stones,  well  up  the  slope,  sat 
the  figure  of  the  woman  he  had  dragged  from  the  sea 
and  whom  he  had  hated  with  his  last  conscious  breath. 
Her  head  was  lying  against  the  sheer  wall  that  ran 
up  alongside,  and  he  could  tell  that  she  was  staring  out 
toward  the  sea,  which  roared  against  the  rocks  so  close 
by  that  the  spray  must  have  reached  her  feet.  The 
distance  to  this  rock  was  fully  three  hundred  yards. 
There  was  a  fascination  about  her  loneliness  that  held 
him  immovable  for  a  long  time.  Finally  he  struggled 
to  a  sitting  posture,  faint  and  dizzy.  At  the  same 
moment  she  slowly  turned  her  head  and  looked  in 
his  direction.  Half  rising,  she  made  a  movement  as  if 
to  come  toward  him,  first  peering  intently.  Then  she 
sank  back  upon  the  rock  and  sent  her  gaze  out  to 
the  sea  again. 

With  all  the  haste  he  could  command  he  scrambled 
eagerly  toward  the  rocks,  carrying  the  crumpled 
jacket  in  his  hand.  Not  once  did  she  take  her  eyes 
from  the  breakers.  Tired  and  faint,  he  at  last  came 
to  the  edge  of  the  rocky  pile.  Here  his  strength  failed 
him  and  he  sank  trembling  with  exhaustion  upon  the 
first  friendly  stone,  still  a  hundred  feet  from  where 
she  sat.  In  his  bitter  rage  against  her  he  strove  to 


180  NEDRA 

shout,  but  the  effort  was  little  more  than  a  hoarse 
whisper.  Lying  there  impotently,  he  studied  her  atti 
tude  as  the  minutes  crept  by,  and  there  came  at  last 
into  his  heart  a  touch  of  pity  that  swelled  with  the 
sight  of  her. 

Pain-racked  but  determined,  he  again  started  toward 
the  elevation,  crawling  over  and  around  the  boulders 
that  intervened.  He  was  within  five  feet  of  her  be 
fore  he  spoke,  and  then  not  until  he  had  studied  her 
face  for  some  moments,  steadying  himself  against  a 
large  rock.  She  was  more  beautiful  than  ever  with 
her  black  hair  awry  and  matted,  brushed  away  from 
the  pure  white  face  and  fastened  recklessly  with  the 
shell  combs  she  had  worn  on  board  the  Tempest  Queen. 
Her  blue  eyes  looked  mournfully  from  beneath  their 
long  lashes.  The  slender  white  hands  lay  listlessly 
in  the  lap  of  the  once  white  dress,  now  water-stained, 
wrinkled  and  shapeless.  In  spite  of  all  that  dreadful 
buffeting  by  the  wind  and  water  she  was  still  the 
beautiful  creation  of  nature  he  had  found  so 
charming  in  a  realm  where  nature  seldom  presents 
herself. 

"Lady  Tennys,"  he  called  hoarsely.  "You  do  not 
know  how  I  thank  God  you  are  alive." 

She  turned  slowly,  as  if  she  had  known  all  along 
of  his  tortuous  approach.  Her  voice  was  low  and 
thrilling. 

"I  prayed  for  hours,  it  seemed,  after  we  were  dashed 
upon  this  shore,  that  you  might  live  and  that  I  might 
die.  The  knowledge  that  you  saved  me  through  mis- 


I 


'  'LADY  TENNYS,    .    .    .    YOU  DO  NOT  KNOW  HOW 
I  THANK  GOD  YOU  ARE  ALIVE*  " 


WAS   THE    SEA  KIND  ?  181 

take,  that  you  were  battling  so  long  and  so  bravely  all 
through  the  night  for  the  one  you  cherished  more 
than  all  in  the  world,  made  me  pray  from  the  first 
that  I  could  be  dead  before  you  discovered  the  hor 
rid  error.  You  picked  me  up  when  the  crash  came 
and  I  was  too  terrified  to  even  think  of  crying  aloud 
in  protest.  Then  we  were  in  that  awful,  awful  water. 
It  was  not  until  hours  afterward  that  I  felt  we  might 
escape  and  that  I  should  have  to  face  your  grief."  He 
reached  up  and  clasped  her  hand. 

"Don't — don't  talk  like  that  now,"  he  groaned.  "I 
hated  you  this  morning,  but — God,  it  is  a  relief  to 
have  you  here  to  share  all  this  with  me.  God  threw 
us  into  the  sea  and  He  has  saved  us.  I  would  to 
God  I  could  have  gone  down  with — with  her,  but — 
but —  "  and  he  broke  down,  his  head  falling  upon 
his  outstretched  arms  at  her  feet.  A  deep  sob  from 
Lady  Tennys  caused  him  to  lift  his  haggard  eyes 
to  hers.  "It  would  have  been  so  much  better  than  to 
live  without  her,"  he  cried. 

"Why  did  you  not  let  me  go  when  you  found  who 
I  was  ?"  she  cried  almost  fiercely.  "I  wanted  to  drown, 
I  was  hungry  to  go  to  the  bottom,  to  be  washed  away 
to  the  end  of  the  ocean,  anywher^  but  here  with  you 
when  you  thought  you  were  saving  her.  You  had 
forgotten  that  I  existed  until  that  awful  moment  in 
the  breakers.  I  heard  her  cry  out  to  you  as  we  went 
overboard.  All  through  the  night  I  heard  that  cry 
of  'Hugh!  Hugh!'  It  was  worse  than  the  worst  of 
deaths !" 


188  NEDRA 

At  the  mention  of  Grace's  piteous  cry,  even  though 
heard  in  imagination,  Hugh  sank  limply  to  the  rock, 
his  mouth  falling  open  and  his  eyes  bulging  forth 
in  agony.  Every  drop  of  blood  in  his  veins  seemed 
frozen  with  the  realization  that  he  had  deserted  her 
in  that  hour  when  she  had  most  needed  him,  that  he 
had  left  her  to  go  down  to  death  without  being  by 
her  side,  that  she  had  cried  out  to  him  for  help, — 
had  reached  out  to  him  in  agony.  Crazed  by  a  sudden 
impulse,  he  sprang  to  his  feet  and  glared  out  over  the 
tumbling  waves, — ever  moving  mountains  that  reached 
as  far  as  the  eye  could  see.  She  arose  also,  trembling 
and  alarmed. 

"Where  is  she?  Where  is  she?"  he  cried  fiercely. 
"My  God!  Look  at  that  water!  Grace,  Grace!  My 
darling,  how  could  I  have  left  you  alone  to  die  in 
that  hell  of  water !  Let  me  come  to  you  now,  dearest. 
I  will  save  you.  I  will  come !  Hugh  is  coming,  dear 
est  !  Look !  She  must  be  out  there  somewhere.  I  can 
reach  her  if  I  try.  I  must  go !" 

Insane  with  despair,  he  leaped  to  his  feet  and  would 
have  dashed  down  the  steep  into  the  death-dealing 
breakers  had  not  his  companion,  with  a  sharp  cry, 
clutched  his  arm.  He  turned  fiercely,  ready  to  strike 
her  in  his  frenzy.  His  glaring  eyes  met  hers,  sweet, 
wide,  and  imploring,  and  their  influence  told  at  once 
upon  him.  A  rush  of  quiet  almost  benumbed  him,  so 
immediate  was  the  reaction  from  violence  to  submis 
sion. 

"You  must  not  do  that!"  she  cried  in  horror. 


WAS   THE   SEA  KIND  ?  183 

"Let  me  save  her,  for  God's  sake.  I  cannot  leave 
her  to  the  sea." 

"Be  calm!"  she  wailed.  "Hours  ago  I  would  have 
leaped  into  the  sea  myself,  but  the  thought  came  to 
me  that  she  may  not  be  lost  after  all.  There  is  some 
thing  for  you  to  live  for." 

"There  is  nothing.     She  is  lost,"  he  cried. 

"As  I  stood  here,  I  wondered  if  she  might  not  have 
been  saved  as  miraculously  as  we.  Wonder  grew  into 
hope  and  hope  took  the  shape  of  possibility.  Hugh, 
she  may  be  ah've  and  as  safe  as  we !" 

His  eyes  brightened  like  a  flash;  his  breath  came 
quickly ;  he  tried  to  speak,  but  could  not  for  the  joy 
of  hope. 

"The  hope  that  she  may  have  been  saved  and  may 
yet  be  given  back  to  you  kept  me  from  ending  the  life 
that  did  not  belong  to  me,  but  to  her.  Hugh  Ridge- 
way,  I  have  spent  a  thousand  years  on  these  rocks, 
trying  to  find  courage  to  live.  But  for  me  she 
would  be  standing  here  with  you.  You  would  have 
saved  her  had  I  not  been  in  the  way  last  night," 
she  whispered.  He  could  see  that  she  suffered,  but 
he  was  again  blind  to  everything  but  his  own  great 
despair. 

"Yes,"  he  cried  savagely,  "but  for  you  I  would  have 
saved  her.  Oh,  I  could  curse  you — curse  you !"  She 
shrank  back  with  a  low  moan,  covering  her  eyes  with 
her  hands. 

"Don't  say  that!"  she  murmured  piteously.  "I 
would  to  God  I  could  have  gone  down  with  the  ship." 


184  NEDRA 

His  eyes  softened  and  a  wave  of  remorse  swept  over 
him. 

"Forgive  me,"  he  groaned,  "I  am  mad  or  I  could  not 
have  said  that  to  you.  I  did  not  mean  it."  He  placed 
his  hand  on  hers,  clasping  the  fingers  firmly.  "For 
get  that  I  spoke  so  cruelly.  I  devoutly  thank  God 
that  your  life  was  spared.  We  both  loved  the  one 
who  was  left  behind." 

She  glanced  down  at  his  face  doubtingly,  unbeliev 
ingly,  at  first.  Then  a  gleam  of  joy  flooded  her  tired 
eyes,  illumined  her  face.  Sinking  down  beside  him, 
she  placed  her  head  upon  his  shoulder  and  wept  softly. 
He  did  not  move  from  his  position  on  the  rock  be 
low.  His  heart  was  full  of  tenderness  for  the  living 
and  grief  for  the  dead.  His  eyes  stared  out  over  the 
sea  wistfully. 

"I  cannot  look  at  that  water !"  he  suddenly  shrieked, 
drawing  back  in  abject  terror.  "It  is  horrible!  Hor 
rible  !" 

He  left  her  side  and  dashed  madly  away,  strength 
having  come  with  sudden  abhorrence.  She  looked 
after  him  in  alarm,  her  eyes  wide  with  the  fear  that 
he  was  bereft  of  reason.  Down  the  rocks  and  up 
the  beach  he  fled,  disappearing  among  the  strangely 
shaped  trees  and  underbrush  that  marked  the  out 
skirts  of  the  jungle.  Again  she  leaned  back  against 
the  rock  and  looked  at  the  unfriendly  billows  beyond, 
a  feeling  that  she  sat  deserted  forever  on  that  barren 
shore  plunging  her  soul  into  the  very  lowest  pits  of 
wretchedness. 


WAS   THE    SEA  KIND  ?  185 

Hours  afterward  he  crept  painfully  from  the  cool, 
lonely  jungle  into  the  bright  glare  of  the  beach, — 
calmer,  more  rational,  cursing  no  more.  A  shudder 
swept  over  him,  a  chill  penetrated  to  the  marrow 
of  his  bones  as  he  looked  again  upon  the  sea.  His 
eyes  sought  the  rocks  upon  which  he  had  left  her ; 
his  heart  was  full  of  an  eagerness  to  comfort  her 
and  be  comforted  in  return. 

She  still  sat  upon  the  rock  and  he  hurried  toward 
her.  As  on  his  first  approach,  she  did  not  move. 
When  he  drew  quite  close,  he  discovered  that  she  was 
lying  limply  back  against  the  supporting  boulder. 
The  fear  that  she  was  dead  and  that  he  was  left  alone 
almost  struck  him  to  the  ground.  He  reached  her 
side,  pale  and  panting,  and  then  breathed  a  prayer  of 
rejoicing. 

Lady  Tennys,  her  dark  lashes  resting  tranquilly 
upon  her  cheek,  was  lying  easily  against  the  staunch 
old  rock,  fast  asleep. 


CHAPTER  XVIII 
THE  WONDERFUL  LAND 

HE  did  not  arouse  her  at  once,  but  sat  below  her, 
looking  at  her  sweet,  tired  face,  peaceful  in  the  slum 
ber  that  had  been  so  long  in  coming,  wondering  what 
her  dreams  could  be.  Far  down  the  shore,  near  the 
tree  under  which  he  had  found  himself  and  to  whose 
shelter  she  had  dragged  him, — something  told  him 
vaguely, — was  the  spar  that  had  ridden  the  waves 
with  them  the  night  before.  Long,  white  and  gleam 
ing  it  lay  in  the  waning  sunlight.  The  sight  of  it 
filled  him  with  an  enthusiasm  he  never  had  known  be 
fore.  His  heart  swelled  with  homage  to  the  strong, 
sturdy  piece  of  timber.  It  was  like  a  living  object  to 
him  now,  a  friend  to  whom  he  felt  like  talking,  to 
whom  he  could  turn  for  proof  positive  of  an  unpar 
alleled  experience  on  the  deep. 

His  eyes  grew  sad  and  gloomy  as  he  turned  toward 
the  setting  king  of  day.  In  his  imagination,  the  Tem 
pest  Queen,  with  all  on  board,  went  down  precisely 
at  the  point  chosen  by  the  sun  for  his  disappearance. 

Night  coming!  Where  were  they?  Upon  an  un 
known  shore,  Heaven  alone  knowing  how  far  from 
habitation,  from  all  shelter  save  the  tree-tops,  from  all 
means  of  sustenance.  Night  coming!  Behind  them 


THE   WONDERFUL   LAND          187 

the  mysterious  jungle,  before  them  the  devil-brewed 
ocean. 

A  chilly  perspiration  broke  out  over  him;  a  fear 
even  worse  than  that  of  the  night  before  attacked  him. 
How  far  were  they  from  human  habitation?  What 
manner  of  people  dwelt  in  this  land?  As  these 
thoughts  tumbled  about  in  his  brain,  suddenly  came 
the  implacable  desire  for  water.  It  seemed  days  since 
he  had  tasted  it.  Like  a  flash,  nature  began  its 
demands,  and  he  was  almost  overcome  by  the  prospect 
of  night  on  the  rocks  with  no  possible  hope  to  find 
the  food  and  water  now  so  necessary. 

Lady  Tennys  slept  on,  untouched  by  the  calamities 
that  beset  him,  her  breast  rising  full  and  regularly. 
As  he  looked  upon  her  lovely  face  the  spirit  of  chivalry 
returned.  She  had  thought  of  him  in  his  uncon 
sciousness  and  she  had  been  brave  and  true.  Bound 
by  a  new  determination  to  find  food  and  water  for  her 
and  to  provide  other  shelter  than  the  draughty  cran 
nies  among  the  rocks,  he  painfully  started  up  the 
slope  toward  the  edge  of  the  forest.  Soon  he  stood 
upon  the  broad,  smooth  plateau,  looking  into  the 
green,  sunless  depths. 

Behind  him  lay  the  beach  and  the  fringe  of  the 
j  ungle ;  to  seaward  rose  the  rocky  point  full  two  hun 
dred  feet  higher  than  the  spot  on  which  he  stood, 
panting  for  breath;  to  his  right,  descending  grad 
ually,  ran  the  lofty  hill  to  a  place,  not  more  than  a 
quarter  of  a  mile  away,  where  it  merged  into  the 
forest.  The  ridge  on  Avhich  he  stood  was  not  more  than 


188  NEDRA 

one  hundred  feet  wide,  a  flat,  narrow,  sloping  table. 
Filled  with  curiosity,  he  strode  to  the  opposite  side 
and  found  himself  upon  the  edge  of  a  sharp  decline, 
almost  perpendicular  in  its  fall  to  the  valley  below, 
which  was  apparently  lower  than  the  beach  from  which 
he  had  come. 

As  far  as  the  eye  could  reach  inland  there  was  a  mass 
of  bright  green  trees,  luxuriant  and  beautiful.  Below 
him  was  water,  a  natural  harbor  of  tiny  dimensions, 
running  back  from  the  sea  which  lay  off  to  the  far 
right  as  he  faced  the  head  of  this  peculiar  elevation. 
Plain  to  his  eye  was  the  contour  of  this  great  rock. 
It  resembled  the  letter  L.  Along  the  sea  line  it 
stretched  high  and  ugly  for  nearly  a  mile,  a  solid 
wall,  he  imagined,  some  three  hundred  feet  above  the 
water,  narrow  at  the  top,  like  a  great  backbone.  The 
little  cove  below  him  was  perhaps  a  mile  across.  The 
opposite  shore  was  low  and  verdure-clad.  The  rocky 
eminence  that  formed  the  wall  on  two  sides  was  the 
only  high  ground  to  be  seen  for  miles  around. 

Down  the  slope  he  sped,  dusky  shadows  beginning  to 
tell  of  the  coming  night.  His  feet  finally  touched 
upon  the  grass-covered  soil ;  he  was  off  the  barren 
rock  and  at  the  edge  of  the  dismal  forest.  Without 
a  quiver  he  hurried  under  the  great  leaves  and  among 
the  trees.  The  ground  sloped  gently  downward  to 
the  now  invisible  harbor.  He  turned  in  that  direc 
tion.  Monkeys  chattered  in  the  trees  and  strange 
birds  hurtled  through  the  dense  growth.  His  foot 
struck  against  a  queer  green  object  and  an  instant 


THE   WONDERFUL   LAND          189 

later  he  gave  a  shout  of  joy.  It  was  a  cocoanut,  green 
and  smooth. 

Food!  In  an  instant  he  realized  that  he  had  found 
something  that  could  appease  the  cravings  of  hunger 
for  the  time  being,  at  least.  He  searched  eagerly, 
feverishly  in  the  matted  grass,  and  soon  had  a  dozen 
great  nuts  piled  at  the  edge  of  the  wood.  Then  he 
renewed  his  search  for  the  water  that  must  keep  life 
in  their  famished  bodies. 

The  lapping  of  waves  grew  louder  as  he  pushed  his 
way  through  the  trees,  and  a  moment  later  he  nar 
rowly  escaped  plunging  into  the  waters  of  the  shim 
mering  little  bay.  The  coast  was  semicircular  in 
shape,  rising  high  and  black  to  his  left,  running  low 
and  green  to  his  right.  Not  one  hundred  feet  to 
the  left  were  the  first  signs  of  the  rocky  promontory, 
small,  jagged  boulders  standing  like  a  picket  line 
before  the  great  mass  beyond.  Along  the  rocky  side 
of  the  wall,  some  distance  away,  he  saw  an  overhang 
ing  shelf  of  dark  gray  stone,  protruding  over  the 
natural  floor  beneath.  An  inky  darkness  back  >  of 
the  projection  impressed  him  with  the  idea  that  a  cave 
lay  beyond. 

At  his  feet  trickled  a  little  stream  of  clear,  spark 
ling  water,  coming  from  the  crevasse  above,  the  head 
quarters  of  a  spring.  He  fell  upon  his  knees  and 
plunged  his  hot  face  into  the  cool  water,  swallowing 
great  gulps. 

When  he  arose  to  his  feet  everything  looked  brighter, 
fairer,  happier.  The  scene,  gorgeous  a  few  moments 


190  NEDRA 

before,  was  now  more  than  that  to  his  revived  senses. 
A  desire  to  shout  jubilantly  came  over  him.  With  an 
exultation  that  he  could  scarcely  control  he  dashed 
on  up  the  sand-strewn  ledge  toward  the  awning-like 
rock. 

He  found  that  a  roomy  cave  ran  back  into  the  hill 
a  dozen  feet  or  more.  Its  floor  was  covered  with  fine 
white  sand,  thrown  up  from  the  beach  during  the  wind 
storms,  and  it  was  a  most  perfect  shelter, — this  hole 
fifty  feet  above  the  placid  waters. 

Darkness  was  coming,  so  he  ran  back  to  the  little 
rivulet.  In  a  broken  cocoanut  shell  he  secured  some 
fresh  water  and  began  his  journey  to  the  other  side 
of  the  ridge.  The  sun  was  down  to  the  level  of  the 
sea  when  he  came  from  the  rocks  and  within  sight  of 
the  spot  where  he  had  left  his  fair  companion. 

She  was  not  there! 

A  great  trembling  fear  assailed  him  and  he  sank 
back  with  a  groan  of  despair.  Then  he  heard  his 
name  called  faintly  and  piteously. 

"Here  I  am !"  he  cried.  "Where  are  you  ?"  A  glad 
cry  arose  from  below,  and  he  saw  her  coming  rapidly 
from  the  small  boulders  near  the  water,  some  distance 
to  the  left.  He  hurried  to  meet  her. 

"Oh,  I  thought  you  had  left  me  to  die  up  there," 
she  gasped  as  they  drew  near  to  each  other.  "Mr. 
Ridgeway — Hugh,  I  am  so  glad  you  have  come." 

"You  were  asleep  when  I  came  back  an  hour  ago. 
See?  I  have  found  water.  Drink!"  With  one  hand 
he  reached  down  and  took  hers,  eagerly  upstretched, 


THE   WONDERFUL  LAND          191 

drawing  her  to  the  rock  on  which  he  stood.  She 
gulped  the  contents  of  the  shell  with  the  haste  of 
one  half  famished. 

"How  good!"  she  cried,  with  eyes  sparkling  as  she 
took  the  empty  shell  from  her  moist  lips.  "I  was  so 
thirsty  that  I  tried  to  drink  that  bitter  stuff  down 
there.  How  horrible  it  must  be  to  die  of  thirst.  Can 
we  find  food,  Hugh?  Is  there  nothing  to  eat?  I  am 
so  hungry,  so  hungry."  The  sparkle  faded  from 
her  eyes  and  a  look  of  pain  filled  them. 

"I  have  found  cocoanuts  on  the  other  side  of  the 
hill.  We  can  make  them  serve  until  I  have  a  chance  to 
look  farther.  Come.  We  must  hurry,  or  the  night 
will  make  it  impossible  for  us  to  cross  this  hill  and  find 
the  cave." 

"Cave?" 

"A  wonderful  shelter  for  the  night.  Can  you  walk 
that  far?  It  will  not  be  difficult  after  we  reach  the 
top  of  this  little  mountain." 

Together  they  began  the  tortuous  ascent,  following 
as  closely  as  possible  the  course  he  had  taken.  They 
were  scarcely  able  to  stand  when  they  at  last  reached 
the  top.  Neither  saw  the  beauty  in  the  view,  so  eager 
were  they  to  find  rest  and  nourishment.  As  they  passed 
painfully  down  the  slope,  he  told  her  of  the  monkeys, 
the  nuts,  the  cave,  the  rivulet,  and  the  splendor  of 
the  scene,  cheering  her  lagging  spirits  with  what  ani 
mation  he  could  assume.  A  few  chattering  monkeys 
welcomed  them  to  the  woodland,  and  she  was  momen 
tarily  aroused  to  interest  in  her  surroundings,  utter- 


192  NEDRA 

ing  little  cries  of  delight.  They  came  to  the  pile  of 
nuts,  and  he  took  up  several  in  his  free  arm.  The  cave 
was  reached  at  last  and  both  sank  exhausted  to  the 
white  sand.  It  was  now  so  dark  that  the  stars  were 
gathering  above  them  and  objects  were  indistinct  to 
the  vision. 

"Thank  God !"  he  exclaimed,  lying  flat  on  his  back, 
his  arms  outstretched. 

"I  am  so  tired,"  she  murmured,  her  head  drooping 
against  the  wall  as  she  seated  herself  near  the  open 
ing.  After  many  minutes  he  began  the  task  of  open 
ing  the  cocoanuts. 

"To-morrow  I  shall  go  hunting  for  something  more 
substantial  than  these  nuts.  There  must  be  fruit,  ber 
ries  and  vegetables  of  some  kind  in  the  forest,"  said 
he. 

"How  are  we  to  get  away  from  here,  Hugh?"  she 
asked.  "Where  are  we?  This  may  be  an  uninhabited 
island,  and  we  may  have  to  stay  here  all  of  our 
lives."  There  was  an  awe  in  her  voice,  and  he  could 
imagine  that  the  prospect  brought  horror  to  her  face. 
By  this  time  it  was  almost  pitch  dark. 

"Have  I  not  found  food,  water  and  shelter  within 
an  hour's  time?  Can  good  fortune  end  with  this? 
Let  us  sleep  peacefully  to-night  and  hope  for  the 
best  with  to-morrow's  developments." 

"Sleep?     Where  are  we  to  sleep?" 

"In  this  cave  and  upon  the  sand.  There  is  no  other 
place.  It  is  safe,  Lady  Tennys,  and  you  are  to 
have  my  coat  as  a  pillow  for  that  tired  little  head  of 


THE   WONDERFUL   LAND          193 

yours."  With  this  he  arose  and  threw  off  his  coat 
despite  her  protests,  rolling  it  into  a  compact  little 
bundle.  Placing  this  improvised  pillow  on  the  sand 
near  the  rear  of  the  cave,  he  said : 

"There  is  your  bed,  my  Lady.  It  is  the  very  best  in 
the  hotel." 

"You  are  so  good  to  me,  Hugh, — much  better  than 
I  thought  you  could  be  after — after — 

"Please  don't  say  what  you  started  to  say,"  he  inter 
rupted,  his  voice  breaking  suddenly.  He  stood  with 
his  shoulder  against  one  of  the  outer  corners  of  the 
cave,  she  sitting  quietly  behind  him.  At  last  he  went 
on,  as  if  the  thought  came  slowly,  "Lady  Hunting- 
ford,  forgive  my  selfishness.  I  have  been  bewailing 
my  own  misfortune  in  a  most  unmanly  way,  while  you 
have  borne  your  loss  bravely,  thinking  only  to  com 
fort  me.  Forgive  me." 

"My  loss?"  she  asked  in  wonder. 

"Lord  Huntingford,"  he  said  gently. 

"Oh !"  she  exclaimed,  starting  sharply.  "Lord — 
Lord  Huntingford!  Oh,  Hugh,  I  had  forgotten — 

I  had  not  thought ,"  but  she  did  not  complete  the 

bewildered  speech.  He  could  have  believed  that  she 
did  not  breathe  during  the  next  few  moments  as  she 
stood  there,  straight  and  rigid,  clasping  his  arm  con 
vulsively.  Then  she  turned  away  and  walked  quickly 
to  the  bed  on  the  sand,  lying  down  without  a  word. 
He  could  distinguish  nothing  of  her  person  save  cer 
tain  outlines  in  the  darkness,  and  although  he  listened 
intently,  he  heard  no  sob,  no  sigh. 


194  NEDRA 

Soon  his  eyes  grew  heavy  and  he  felt  the  overpower 
ing  force  of  sleep  upon  him.  Removing  his  waistcoat, 
he  went  to  the  other  side  of  the  cave  and  prepared  to 
stretch  himself  out  for  rest.  He  paused  and  listened  for 
a  sound  from  her.  None  came,  so  in  some  trepidation 
he  stepped  nearer.  Soft,  regular  breathing,  deep  and 
full,  told  him  that  she  was  asleep.  In  considerable 
wonder  he  went  back  to  his  hard  bed.  Out  of  the  con 
fusion  of  thoughts  and  impressions  that  followed  her 
surprising  admission,  came  at  last  the  dim,  sleepy 
understanding  of  the  situation. 

She  had  not  thought  of  Lord  Huntingford  until  he 
mentioned  the  old  nobleman's  name. 

With  the  last  faint  whirl  of  wakefulness  came  the 
suggestion  of  roaming  wild  beasts,  creeping  up  to 
attack  them  in  the  night,  but  sleep  greedily  swallowed 
the  half -formed  fear. 


CHAPTER  XIX 
THE  FIRST  DAY  IN  THE  WILDS 

THE  sun  was  up  hours  before  Ridgeway  stretched  his 
stiff  arms,  blinked  his  sleepy  eyes  and  peered  won- 
deringly  about  his  strange  apartment.  Another  and 
more  rapid  glance  failed  to  reveal  Lady  Tennys.  His 
jacket  was  still  there,  and  a  round  depression  showed 
that  her  head  had  rested  upon  it  all  night.  The 
packed  sand  denoted  the  once  present  body  of  the 
sleeper. 

"Good-morning,"  came  a  swetet,  clear  voice  from 
somewhere. 

"Hello!  Where  are  you?"  he  called,  greatly  re 
lieved. 

"In  the  kitchen,  of  course,  getting  breakfast  for 
you.  The  kitchen  is  down  at  the  spring,  you  know. 
Come  down." 

He  hurried  down  the  path,  and  found  her  standing 
beside  the  bounding  little  stream.  Her  wavy  black 
hair  was  no  longer  matted  and  wild,  for,  with  the 
water  in  the  cove  as  a  mirror  and  her  big  hair  comb 
as  the  necessary  toilet  article,  she  had  "done  it  up" 
in  quite  a  presentable  fashion.  Her  face  was  bright 
and  pure  in  its  freshness,  her  hands  were  white  and 
immaculately  clean;  her  eyes  sparkled  with  a  deeper, 


196  NEDRA 

clearer  blue  than  ever.  She  wore  an  air  of  restored 
confidence  in  herself. 

"I  have  been  up  for  two  hours  or  more.  See  how 
nice  and  clean  I  am.  Go  down  there  and  wash  your 
hands  and  face  and  I  will  comb  your  hair."  She 
produced  an  improvised  clothes  broom,  a  stout  leafy 
branch  from  a  cocoanut-tree,  and  swished  the  sand 
from  his  clothing  as  he  turned  about  for  her  obedi 
ently. 

"These  clothes  of  mine  are  full  of  sand  and  scum 
from  the  sea,  but  before  the  day  is  over  I  intend  to 
give  them  a  good  scrubbing  and  drying.  Then  I'll 
feel  like  a  new  man.  But  wait!  This  may  be  Sun 
day,  not  Monday.  Can't  wash  on  Sunday,  can  I? 
Let's  see,  the  wreck  was  on  Thursday  night,  yesterday 
was  Friday  and — 

"And  to-day  is  Saturday  naturally.  We  must  have 
clean  clothes  for  Sunday.  Our  parlor,  kitchen,  and 
laundry  are  in  the  same  room,  it  would  seem.  Here's 
a  pile  of  cocoanuts  I  collected  while  you  slept,  and 
there  are  some  plums  or  fruit  of  some  kind.  They 
grow  back  there  in  the  wood  a  short  distance.  I  saw 
some  gorgeous  birds  out  there,  and  they  were  eat 
ing  the  fruit,  so  it  must  be  wholesome.  And  those 
dear,  saucy  little  monkeys !  I  could  watch  them  for 
hours." 

"Did  you  run  across  any  boa  constrictors  or  ana 
condas?"  asked  he  serenely. 

"Good  Heavens !  I  never  thought  of  snakes.  There 
may  be  dreadful  serpents  in  that  forest,  Hugh."  Her 
eves  were  full  of  alarm. 


THE   FIRST   DAY   IN    THE   WILDS     197 

"I  merely  asked  your  Ladyship  in  order  to  keep  the 
cook  in  her  kitchen,"  laughed  he. 

"An  afternoon  out  is  not  a  luxury  in  this  land,  even 
for  the  most  cooped  up  of  cooks.  Snakes !  Ugh !" 
Hugh  thought  she  shuddered  very  prettily. 

"Breakfast  will  be  cold  if  I  don't  hurry,"  he  ob 
served.  He  made  his  way  around  the  rocky  bend  to 
the  point  where  the  rivulet  emptied  into  the  cove. 
When  he  returned  to  the  shady  spot  he  was  put  to 
work  opening  cocoanuts  and  pouring  the  milk  into 
the  shells  of  others.  She  had  cleaned  the  flat  sur 
face  of  a  large  rock  which  stood  well  out  from  the 
lower  edge  of  the  cliff,  and  signified  her  intention  to 
use  it  as  a  dining  table.  He  became  enthused  and, 
by  the  exertion  of  all  the  strength  he  could  muster, 
succeeded  in  rolling  two  boulders  down  the  incline, 
placing  them  in  position  as  stools  beside  the  queer 
table.  Then  they  stood  off  and  laughed  at  the  re 
markable  set  of  furniture. 

"I  wonder  what  time  it  is?"  she  said  as  they  began 
to  eat.  He  pulled  his  forgotten  repeater  from  his 
watch  pocket  and  opened  it  with  considerable  appre 
hension.  It  was  not  running,  nor  did  it  appear  as  if 
it  would  ever  be  of  service  again. 

"How  are  we  ever  to  know  the  time  of  day?"  she 
cried. 

"I'll  try  to  fix  it.  It  is  only  water-clogged.  My  lit 
tle  compass  on  the  charm  is  all  right  and  it  will  give 
us  our  bearings,  north  and  south,  so  that  I  can  get 
the  time  by  the  sun.  I'll  drive  a  little  stake  out  there 


198  NEDRA 

on  the  level,  and  when  the  shadow  is  precisely  north 
and  south,  then  it  is  noon.  It's  all  very  simple,  Lady 
Tennyson." 

"I'm  only  the  cook,  Hugh.  Won't  you  please  call 
me  Tennys?" 

"Thank  you ;  it's  such  a  waste  of  time  to  say  Lady 
Tennyson.  Shall  I  order  dinner,  cook?" 

"We'll  have  a  ten-course  dinner,  sir,  of  cocoanuts 
and  plums,  sir,  if  you  please,  sir." 

"Breakfast  warmed  over,  I  see,"  he  murmured,  gaz 
ing  resignedly  toward  the  trees.  Later  on  he  managed 
to  get  some  life  into  his  watch  and  eventually  it  gave 
promise  of  faithful  work.  He  set  the  hands  at  twelve 
o'clock.  It  was  broiling  hot  by  this  time,  and  he  was 
thoughtful  enough  to  construct  a  poke-bonnet  for  her, 
utilizing  a  huge  palm  leaf.  Proudly  he  placed  the 
green  protector  upon  her  black  hair.  Then,  looking 
into  her  smiling  eyes,  he  tied  the  grass  cord  under 
her  up-tilted  chin. 

"Perfect!"  she  cried,  with  genuine  pleasure.  "You 
must  make  another  for  yourself."  Whether  he  took  it 
as  a  command  or  as  a  request  matters  not.  Suffice  it  to 
say,  he  soon  produced  another  palm-leaf  hat,  and  she 
tied  it  under  his  chin  a  great  deal  more  deftly  than  he 
had  performed  the  same  service  for  her,  consequently 
with  a  speed  that  disappointed  him. 

He  decided  to  make  a  short  tour  of  the  wood  during 
the  afternoon.  At  first  he  argued  it  would  be  wise  to 
walk  far  down  the  coast,  in  the  hope  of  finding 
a  village  of  some  description  along  the  water 


THE   FIRST   DAY   IN    THE   WILDS     199 

front.  Then  he  decided  that  a  trip  to  the  north, 
through  the  wood,  would  be  better,  as  the  lower  coast 
could  be  surveyed  from  the  summit  of  the  great 
rock. 

"You  are  not  afraid  to  stay  here  alone  for  a  couple 
of  hours,  are  you,  Tennys?"  he  asked,  discerning  so 
licitude  in  her  face. 

"I  am  not  afraid  for  myself,  but  for  you.  You 
must  be  very  careful,  Hugh,  and  come  back  to  me 
safely.  What  can  I  do?  What  shall  I  do  if  you 
never  come  back?"  she  cried. 

"Nothing  can  happen  to  me — nothing  in  the  world. 
See,  it's  nearly  one  o'clgck  now.  I'll  be  back  by  five. 
And  I'll  be  careful,  so  do  not  be  troubled.  We  must 
find  the  way  out  of  this  wilderness.  Be  brave  and 
I'll  soon  be  with  you  again." 

He  was  soon  in  the  depths  of  the  forest,  skirting  the 
little  bay  toward  the  north.  She  stood  beside  their 
stone  festal  board,  watching  him  through  uneasy  eyes 
till  he  disappeared  completely  from  view.  A  sense  of 
loneliness  so  overpowering  that  it  almost  crushed  her 
fell  upon  this  frail,  tender  woman  as  she  stood  there 
on  the  edge  of  the  South  Sea  jungle,  the  boundless 
sea  at  her  back.  The  luxuries  and  joys  of  a  life  to 
which  she  had  been  accustomed  came  up  in  a  great 
flash  before  her  memory's  eye,  almost  maddening  in 
their  seductiveness.  She  glanced  at  the  dress  she  wore, 
and  a  faint,  weary  smile  came  to  her  eyes  and  lips. 
Instead  of  the  white,  perfect  yachting  costume,  she 
saw  the  wretched,  shrunken,  stained,  shapeless  gar- 


200  NEDRA 

merit  that  to  her  eyes  would  have  looked  appalling 
on  the  frame  of  a  mendicant.  Her  costly  shoes,  once 
small  and  exquisitely  moulded  to  her  aristocratic  feet, 
were  now  soiled  and  ugly. 

From  the  palace  to  the  jungle!  From  the  wealth  of 
fashion  to  the  poverty  of  nature !  From  the  scores  of 
titled  admirers  to  the  single  brave  American  who 
shared  life  with  her  on  the  bleak  rock,  mourning  for 
a  love  that  might  never  be  restored  by  the  unkind 
depths.  A  vision  of  yesterday  and  to-day !  Turning 
to  the  sea,  she  breathed  a  prayer  for  the  salvation  of 
Grace  Vernon,  her  eyes  dimming  as  she  thought 
of  the  blithe,  cheery  girl  who  had  become  so  dear 
to  her,  and  who  was  all  the  world  to  Hugh  Ridge- 
way. 

Her  thoughts  went  then  to  Lord  Hunting  ford,  her 
husband.  There  was  scant  regret  in  her  heart  over 
the  fate  of  the  old  nobleman.  She  was  not  cruel 
enough  to  rejoice,  but  there  was  a  certain  feeling  of 
relief  which  she  could  not  quell,  try  as  she  would, 
in  the  belief  that  he  had  gone  down  to  death  and  a 
younger,  nobler  man  spared.  The  last  she  saw  of  her 
husband  was  when  he  broke  past  the  officers  and 
plunged  out  upon  the  deck,  leaving  her  to  her  fate. 
That  he  had  been  instantly  swept  overboard  she  had 
no  doubt.  All  she  could  remember  of  her  thoughts 
at  that  thrilling  moment  was  the  brief,  womanly  cry 
for  mercy  to  his  soul.  After  that  came  the  lurch  which 
prostrated  her,  and  then  Ridgeway's  cry,  "Be  brave, 
dearest !" 


THE   FIRST   DAY   IN    THE   WILDS     201 

Bitter  tears  streamed  down  her  cheeks  as  she  thought 
of  the  strong-hearted  Veath  and  the  forsaken  Amer 
ican  girl — and  all  of  the  others  in  that  merry  com 
pany.  It  was  not  in  such  anguish  as  this  that  she 
summed  up  her  individual  loss. 

Ridgeway  was  soon  in  the  thick  of  the  jungle.  For 
two  or  three  hours  he  plunged  through  beautiful 
glades,  over  swelling  knolls,  across  tiny  streams,  but 
always  through  a  waste  of  nature  that,  to  all  ap 
pearance,  had  never  been  touched  by  a  human  being 
save  himself. 

At  last  he  dropped  wearily  upon  a  grassy  mound 
and  resigned  himself  to  the  conviction  that  they  had 
been  swept  upon  an  absolutely  unexplored,  perhaps 
undiscovered,  portion  of  the  globe.  It  did  not  occur 
to  his  discouraged  mind  that  he  had  covered  less  than 
five  miles  of  what  might  be  a  comparatively  small 
piece  of  uninhabited  land  and  that  somewhere  not  far 
distant  lay  the  civilization  for  which  he  sought.  His 
despairing  mind  magnified  the  horrors  of  their  posi 
tion  to  such  an  extent  that  he  actually  wondered  how 
long  it  would  be  before  death  broke  down  their  feeble 
resistance.  Arising  despondently,  he  turned  his  steps 
in  the  direction  of  the  little  cave. 

It  was  not  long  before  he  reached  a  small  sandy 
stretch  about  five  hundred  yards  from  the  spot  where 
he  had  left  Lady  Tennys.  Little  waves  licked  the 
short  strip  of  sand  lazily,  seeming  to  invite  him 
down  to  meet  them  on  their  approach  from  the  big 
sea  whose  tidings  of  woe  they  bore.  High,  dark  and 


202  NEDRA 

ominous  loomed  the  great  rock  on  the  south.  He 
could  not  see  the  cave  or  the  rivulet  on  account  of  ob 
structing  trees  and  a  curve  in  the  shore,  so  he  walked 
down  to  the  very  edge  of  the  water,  expecting  to 
obtain  a  view  from  that  point. 

A  startling  discovery  flashed  upon  him  as  he  strode 
upon  the  beach.  There,  in  the  white,  soft  sand  were 
plainly  revealed  the  footprints  of  a  bare  human  foot. 
He  rubbed  his  eyes  and  gazed  again.  Before  him  were 
a  number  of  small  footprints,  running  to  and  from 
the  water.  In  a  dazed,  wondering  way  he  sought  to 
follow  them,  eventually  finding  where  a  single  line 
of  tracks  led  directly  toward  a  clump  of  trees  to  his 
left.  At  the  edge  of  this  he  found  a  confusion  of 
bewildering  barefoot  moulds,  mixed  with  others  un 
questionably  made  by  a  shoe  on  the  foot  of  a  civil 
ized  person.  Hurrying  through  the  trees,  fearful 
that  savages  had  attacked  Lady  Tennys  at  this  place, 
he  was  suddenly  confronted  by  a  spectacle  that  made 
him  gasp.  Down  at  the  water's  edge,  over  near  the 
place  where  he  had  left  her,  he  saw  white  garments 
spread  upon  the  rocks.  She  was  nowhere  to  be  seen. 
Like  a  flash  the  truth  came  to  him,  and  he  looked  at 
his  watch  in  consternation.  It  was  but  three-thirty 
o'clock.  He  had  told  her  he  would  be  away  until 
five  or  after. 

Turning  about,  he  dashed  back  into  the  depths  of  the 
wood.  It  was  after  five  when  he  again  approached 
the  rendezvous,  carrying  a  quantity  of  plums  and 
other  fruits  and  a  number  of  gaudy  feathers  that  he 


THE   FIRST   DAY   IN    THE   WILDS     203 

had   found.      Away  back  in  the  wood  he  began  to 
shout  to  her,  long  before  he  was  in  sight  of  the 
hill.     She  answered  cheerily,  venturing  into  the  wood 
to  meet  him. 
Her  clothes  were  white,  clean,  even  shapely. 


CHAPTER  XX 
THE  SIGN  OF  DISTRESS 

THE  next  morning  before  she  was  awake  he  arose 
and  made  a  tour  of  the  beach  in  quest  of  shell  fish, 
took  a  plunge  in  the  cool  waters  of  the  bay,  and  again 
inspected  the  little  footprints  in  the  sand.  He  smiled 
as  he  placed  his  own  foot,  a  number  nine,  beside 
the  dainty  imprint.  On  his  way  back  to  the  cave  he 
killed  a  huge  turtle,  the  meat  of  which  he  promised 
should  keep  them  alive  for  several  days,  if  nothing 
better  could  be  found.  As  he  turned  the  bend  he 
saw  her  standing  on  the  ledge  at  the  mouth  of  the 
cave,  the  wind  blowing  her  hair  and  skirts  freely. 
He  called  to  her,  and  she  turned  her  face  eagerly  in 
his  direction.  They  met  among  the  trees  some  dis 
tance  from  the  spring. 

"Where  have  you  been?"  she  cried,  her  cheeks  glow 
ing. 

"Hunting  wild  beasts,"  he  replied  valiantly. 

"Pooh !  Wild  flowers,  you  mean.  I  thought  perhaps 
you  had  gone  off  to  join  the  monkeys  for  an  old- 
time  frolic  in  the  trees." 

"You  won't  be  so  frivolous  when  I  tell  you  of  the 
narrow  escape  I  have  had.  See  that  trusty  club? 
See  the  blood  on  it?"  They  were  standing  close 


THE    SIGN   OF   DISTRESS          205 

to  each  other  as  he  held  up  the  blood-spattered 
stick. 

"Oh,  Hugh,"  she  gasped,  "is  it  blood?" 

"Life's  blood,"  he  answered  laconically. 

"Not  yours,  Hugh?     You  are  not  hurt?"  she  cried. 

"This  is  the  beast's  blood,  Tennys.  I  am  not  so 
much  as  scratched,  but  it  was  a  frightful  encounter," 
he  went  on,  with  well-assumed  gravity. 

"Tell  me  about  it.  Where  was  it?  What  was  it? 
Tell  me  everything,"  she  begged.  He  took  her  arm 
and  together  they  proceeded  toward  their  wild  home. 

"After  breakfast  I'll  take  you  around  the  bend  and 
prove  to  you  my  valor." 

"But  I  cannot  wait  and,  besides,  you  have  proved 
your  valor.  Do  tell  me  where  the  blood  came  from." 

"That  awful  thing  plunged  from  the  underbrush 
upon  me  so  suddenly  that  I  was  almost  paralyzed," 
he  said  soberly.  "I  didn't  have  much  time  to  think, 
and  I  don't  know  what  I  should  have  done  if  it  had 
not  been  for  this  excellent  club,  which  I  had  cut  for 
a  rather  inglorious  purpose.  With  one  of  the  very 
best  strokes  a  golfer  ever  made  I  cracked  his  skull." 

"His  skull!" 

"Likewise  his  neck.     Then  I  cut  his  throat." 

"Oh,  Hugh !"  breathlessly. 

"And  I'm  going  back  after  breakfast  to  carve  him 
up  into  roasts,  steaks  and  soups  enough  to  last  us 
for  a  month." 

"Oh,  it  must  have  been  something  gigantic.  Was  it 
a  rhinoceros?"  she  cried  ecstatically. 


206  NEDRA 

"Rhinoceros  soup !"  he  exclaimed  in  disgust.  She 
was  properly  contrite.  "I'll  tell  you  what  I  killed, 
if  you'll  promise  to  endure  the  shock — and  not  tell  any 
one  else."  He  placed  his  lips  close  to  her  little  ear 
and  whispered  in  awe-struck  tones,  "A  turtle!" 

"A  turtle!  Why,  a  baby  could  kill  a  turtle.  You 
are  no  longer  a  hero.  Enough  to  last  a  month !  Hugh 
Ridgeway,  are  you  delirious?"  she  exclaimed  in  fine 
scorn. 

"Wait  till  you  see  him.  He  weighs  a  ton,"  he  said 
proudly. 

After  their  breakfast  of  nuts,  fruit  and  water  they 
started  for  the  little  beach,  Lady  Tennys  vastly  ex 
cited.  Her  exclamations  on  seeing  the  sea  monster 
amused  Hugh  beyond  measure. 

"I  never  dreamed  a  turtle  could  be  so  immense,"  she 
cried.  "This  one  must  be  a  thousand  years  old." 

"If  he  is,  we'll  have  tough  steaks,"  observed  he 
grimly.  Later  on  he  carved  several  fine  steaks  from 
the  turtle  and  cleaned  the  upper  shell  carefully,  wisely 
concluding  to  retain  it  for  the  usefulness  it  was  sure 
to  afford  sooner  or  later.  "There  is  one  thing  to  be 
done,"  said  he,  when  they  sat  down  to  rest.  "I  must 
climb  up  that  mountain  and  plant  a  white  flag  to 
show  that  we  are  here  if  a  ship  should  pass.  I'll  do 
that  as  soon  as  I  have  rested,  provided  I  can  find  any 
thing  white  that  is  large  enough  to  be  seen  from  a 
distance." 

She  looked  far  out  over  the  harbor  for  a  minute, 
a  tinge  of  red  running  to  her  ears. 


THE   SIGN  OF   DISTRESS          207 

"A  handkerchief  would  be  too  small,  wouldn't  it?" 
she  asked. 

"I'm  afraid  so,"  he  answered  glumly. 

Soon  afterward  she  left  him  and  went  to  the  cave,  bid 
ding  him  to  await  her  return.  When  she  came  back 
she  carried  in  her  hand  a  broad  piece  of  white  cloth, 
which  she  laid  before  him  on  the  grass.  There  was 
a  look  of  modest  reluctance  in  her  eyes  when  he  glanced 
quickly  up  at  them.  A  cherished  underskirt,  ripped 
ruthlessly  from  waistband  to  ruffle,  making  one  broad 
white  flag  of  the  finest  texture,  was  her  offering. 

"Use  that,  Hugh."  She  could  not  resist  smiling  as 
she  pointed  to  it. 

"It  will  be  the  very  thing,"  he  said,  arising  and  tak 
ing  the  garment  from  the  ground  somewhat  carefully. 

"It  won't  hurt  you,"  she  said,  laughing  frankly ; 
whereupon  he  waved  it  rudely  above  his  head  and 
pointed  to  the  pinnacle  of  the  rock. 

"With  this  I  shall  scale  the  rock  and  skirt  the  bay !" 

Within  ten  minutes  he  was  on  his  way  up  the  in 
cline,  carrying  his  stout  stick  in  his  hand,  another 
heavier  and  stronger  one  being  bound  to  his  back  with 
the  white  signal  attached.  She  accompanied  him  to 
the  point  where  the  ascent  became  difficult  and  full  of 
danger. 

"Be  careful,  Hugh,"  she  said ;  "it  looks  so  dangerous. 
If  you  find  there  is  any  possibility  of  falling,  don't 
attempt  to  go  to  the  top.  You  are  so  daring,  you 
Americans,  that  you  do  not  recognize  peril  at  all. 
Promise  me,  or  I  shall  not  allow  you  to  go  on." 


208  NEDRA 

He  looked  down  into  her  serious  upturned  eyes  and 
promised.  Then  he  resumed  the  ascent,  with  a  queer 
flutter  of  adulation  in  his  heart. 

From  time  to  time  he  paused  to  rest.  In  each  in 
stance  he  looked  below,  waving  his  hand  encouragingly 
to  the  anxious  one  who  watched  him  so  closely.  On, 
over  fierce  crags,  around  grim  towers,  along  steep 
walls,  higher  and  higher  he  crawled.  Twice  he  slipped 
and  fell  back  several  feet.  When  he  glanced  down, 
cold  perspiration  standing  on  his  forehead,  he  saw 
her  bending  with  averted  face,  her  hands  pressed  to 
her  eyes  as  if  she  expected  his  body  to  come  crashing 
to  her  feet.  With  recovered  energy  he  shouted  to 
her,  and  the  quick,  glad  glance  upward  was  enough  to 
make  the  remainder  of  the  ascent  glorious  to  him. 
At  last,  his  hands  and  knees  bleeding,  he  crawled  upon 
the  small,  flat  top  of  the  mountain,  five  hundred  feet 
above  the  breakers,  three  hundred  feet  above  the 
woman  he  had  left  behind. 

The  sea  wind  whistled  in  his  ears  as  he  arose  to 
his  feet.  His  knees  trembled  and  he  grew  momen 
tarily  dizzy  as  he  looked  out  over  the  vast,  blue  plain 
before  him.  Fear  seized  upon  him ;  there  came  a  wild 
desire  to  plant  his  flag  and  hurry  from  the  death-like 
summit.  Sitting  down,  he  nervously  unfastened  the 
pole  and  flag,  looking  about  as  he  did  so  for  a  place 
to  plant  the  beacon.  For  one  moment  his  heart  sank 
only  to  bound  with  joy  in  the  next.  Almost  at  his 
elbow  ran  a  crevasse  in  the  rock,  deep  and  narrow. 
It  was  but  an  instant's  work  to  jam  the  pole  into  this 


THE   SIGN  OF   DISTRESS          209 

crevasse,  and  the  white  flag  was  fluttering  to  the 
breeze.  He  was  certain  it  would  be  days  before  the 
winds  could  whip  it  to  shreds. 

A  feeling  of  helplessness  and  dismay  came  over  him 
as  he  gave  thought  to  the  descent.  In  his  eagerness 
to  begin  the  hazardous  attempt,  he  almost  forgot  the 
chief  object  of  his  climb  to  the  top — the  survey  of 
the  surrounding  country.  As  far  as  he  could  see 
there  stretched  the  carpet  of  forest  land,  the  streak 
of  beach  and  the  expanse  of  water.  In  the  view  there 
was  not  one  atom  of  proof  that  humanity  existed 
within  a  radius  of  many  miles.  Growing  calmer,  he 
scanned  the  wonderful  scene  closely,  intently,  hop 
ing  to  discover  the  faintest  trace  of  aught  save  vege 
table  life,  all  without  reward.  He  was  about  to  begin 
the  descent  when  a  faint  cry  came  to  him  from  far 
below.  Clinging  to  the  edge  of  the  topmost  rock,  he 
looked  downward. 

Lady  Tennys  was  pointing  excitedly  toward  the  lit 
tle  bay  on  his  left.  A  single  glance  in  that  direction 
filled  him  with  amazement,  then  consternation.  Reck 
lessly  he  entered  upon  the  descent.  Obstacles  that  had 
seemed  impassable  as  he  thought  of  them  on  the  sum 
mit  were  passed  safely  and  hurriedly. 

How  he  reached  her  side  so  quickly,  he  could  not 
have  explained  if  he  tried,  but  in  less  than  five  min 
utes  he  stood  with  her,  clasping  her  hand  and  looking 
anxiously  toward  the  sands  on  which  the  great  back 
of  the  turtle  lay  upward  to  the  sun. 


CHAPTER  XXI 
GODS  FROM  THE  SEA 

DRAWN  up  to  the  beach  were  three  long  canoes,  near 
which  were  nearly  a  score  of  brown-skinned,  almost 
wholly  naked  savages,  with  spears,  shields  and  war 
clubs.  They  were  excitedly  inspecting  the  footprints 
in  the  sand.  Hugh  and  Lady  Tennys  looked  down 
upon  this  startling  picture  in  speechless  concern. 

"Where  did  they  come  from?"  whispered  he. 

"I  did  not  see  them  until  they  were  beaching  the 
boats,"  replied  his  white-faced  companion.  "Do  you 
think  they  have  seen  us?" 

"Hardly,  but  they  will  begin  a  search  at  once.  See, 
they  are  now  starting  to  follow  those  tracks.  By 
Heaven,  they'll  find  us,  and  what  chance  have 
we  against  them?  Good  Lord,  this  pocket  knife  is 
worse  than  nothing.  We  must  hide, — and  quickly, 
too." 

"Where  can  we  go,  Hugh?  Where  can  we  go?" 
she  cried,  panic-stricken. 

"We  must  climb  up  among  the  crags  and  lie  down. 
They  can't  see  us  there,  and  they  certainly  can't  track 
us  over  that  stone  plateau.  Quick!  We  have  no 
time  to  lose." 

He  fairly  pushed  her  ahead  of  him,  up  to  the  row 


GODS    FROM    THE    SEA 

of  sharp,  jutting  stones.  In  an  instant  they  were 
completely  obscured  from  view. 

"I'd  rather  leap  off  this  rock  into  the  sea  than  be 
captured  by  those  horrible  things,"  she  half  sobbed. 
"Hugh,  do  you  think  they  would  eat  us?" 

"The  Lord  knows.  I  can  see  them  down  there  hold 
ing  a  consultation.  Move  over  here  and  you  can  see 
the  whole  valley.  Don't  be  afraid;  they  can't  see 
us."  She  moved  over  timidly.  Crouching  side  by  side 
they  watched  the  operations  below.  The  visitors,  evi 
dently  mystified  by  the  footprints,  were  huddled  to 
gether,  gesticulating  wildly.  They  ran  hither  and 
thither  like  so  many  ants,  minutely  examining  the 
mysterious  tracks.  After  a  long  time  Hugh  gave 
vent  to  an  exclamation. 

"By  George !  I  know  what's  the  matter.  They  can't 
understand  the  prints  of  our  shoes.  Our  naked  foot 
prints  are  clear  enough  to  them,  but  I'll  bet  my  soul 
they've  never  seen  an  impression  made  by  a  shoe.  They 
are  your  and  my  footprints,  you  know,  with  and  with 
out  shoes." 

"Mine?  Why,  Hugh  Ridgeway,  I — never — oh,  I 
never  thought!"  she  exclaimed,  deeply  embarrassed 
after  her  first  expression  of  wonder  and  incredulity. 
Then  she  leaned  forward  and  strained  her  eyes  as  if 
expecting  to  see  the  slender  little  bottoms  of  her  feet 
in  the  tell-tale  sand.  At  that  moment  the  brown  band 
divided  into  squads,  a  half  dozen  coming  toward  the 
mountain,  the  others  remaining  with  the  boats. 

"They  are  after  us,  Tennys.     I  have  no  weapon  but 


212  NEDRA 

this  club,  but  I  will  use  it  as  long  as  I  can  stand. 
I'll  protect  you  to  the  last.  If  they  kill  me,  the  only 
thing  left  for  you  to  do  is  to  crawl  to  the  ledge  over 
there  and  jump  off.  We  must  not  be  taken." 

She  felt  a  strange  sense  of  confidence  and  security 
in  the  broad  back  of  the  man  beside  her.  His  jaw  was 
set.  His  cheeks  pale,  his  eyes  burning  with  the  in 
tensity  that  thrilled  his  whole  being.  The  strong 
white  hand  clutched  the  club  fiercely.  He  was  no 
longer  the  light-hearted,  inconsequent  youth  she  had 
known  on  board  the  ship. 

The  brown  figures  came  into  sight  again,  flitting  here 
and  there,  pausing  in  wonder  beside  the  stone  table, 
inspecting  the  cracked  nuts  critically,  and  closely  ex 
amining  the  ground  on  all  sides.  At  last  four  or 
five  of  them  sped  up  the  ledge  to  the  cave. 

"They  have  found  our  hotel,"  said  Hugh  grimly. 
She  gulped  and  could  do  no  more  than  nod. 

A  tall  fellow  with  a  long  spear  and  a  huge  shield, 
stripped  to  the  loins,  about  which  was  a  white  cloth, 
ventured  up  the  slope.  Suddenly  he  halted  and  called 
his  companions  to  his  side.  He  had  found  a  footprint 
in  a  bit  of  sand  on  the  rocky  surface.  Without  more 
ado  the  squad  scattered  and  began  the  ascent,  each 
man  eyeing  the  ground  eagerly.  Occasionally  those 
nearest  the  centre  would  pause  and  point  to  a 
track.  "The  good  Lord  help  us !"  murmured  Ridge- 
way. 

Roth  were  fascinated  by  the  approach  of  the  savages. 
It  was  not  until  they  were  within  a  hundred  feet  of 


GODS    FROM    THE    SEA  213 

them  that  Hugh  bethought  himself  and  drew  her  back, 
entirely  out  of  sight.  At  least,  he  thought  she  could 
not  be  seen,  but  he  was  mistaken.  A  portion  of  her 
white  dress  protruded,  and  a  triumphant  yell  an 
nounced  the  fact  that  it  had  met  the  eyes  of  a  searcher. 
Wondering  what  had  caused  the  sudden  yell,  Hugh 
peered  around  the  corner  of  the  rock,  and  to  his  dis 
may  found  the  whole  band  staring  at  their  hiding 
place. 

"They  have  seen  us,"  he  cried.  "Remember,  Tennys, 
what  I  told  you.  It's  probably  a  case  of  fight  on  my 
part.  Let  'em  come,  spears  and  all !"  He  stood  erect, 
his  eyes  flashing  with  excitement  and  eagerness.  Tak 
ing  a  few  steps  to  one  side,  he  stood  in  full  view  of 
the  searchers,  glaring  down  upon  them  defiantly,  his 
club  in  his  rigid  right  hand.  He  expected  a  shower 
of  spears.  To  his  utter  amazement,  however,  the 
fierce-looking  warriors,  open  mouthed  and  apparently 
terror-stricken,  slunk  backward,  huddling  together,  all 
the  time  staring  at  him  with  bulging  eyes.  His  first 
thought  was  that  they  were  surprised  to  find  him  so 
bold,  but  the  next  act  on  their  part  caused  him  to 
gasp  with  wonder. 

With  one  accord  the  entire  band  cast  weapons  aside 
and  fell  face  downward,  beating  their  heads  against 
the  rock,  just  as  he  had  seen  Arabians  and  Nubians 
perform  in  saluting  some  mighty  potentate.  The 
brown  backs  remained  in  that  position  for  a  full 
minute  before  he  could  call  his  trembling  companion 
to  his  side. 


214  NEDRA 

"What  does  it  mean?"  whispered  she  at  last.  "Are 
they  dead?" 

"They  are  really  there,  then?  By  George,  I  thought 
I  was  dreaming.  Tennys,  they  are  actually  doing  us 
homage." 

"Then  they  are  harmless,"  she  cried  joyously. 

"I  believe  I  could  go  down  and  cut  off  their  ears  with 
out  hearing  a  protest." 

"But  you  won't,  will  you?" 

"It  would  be  barbarous,  totally  uncalled  for,  I'm 
sure.  I  can't  understand  their  warlike  appearance, 
though.  Those  fellows  look  as  ii  they  were  out  for 
blood." 

"Perhaps  they  are  at  war  with  some  other  tribe  and 
not  with  the  white  people.  My  hus — Lord  Hunting- 
ford  says  they  fight  among  themselves  incessantly." 

"That's  it.  It  is  a  band  of  foragers,  no  doubt. 
But  what  are  we  going  to  do  about  it?"  Hugh  was 
nonplussed.  The  brown  backs  and  bobbing  heads  still 
stretched  before  them  in  almost  comical  humbleness. 

"It  may  be  a  trick." 

"It  stands  us  in  hand  to  remain  where  we  are  until 
we  know  what  they  intend  to  do  next." 

"I  hope  they'll  get  up  and  go  away." 

"I  guess  I'll  yell  down  and  ask  them  what  they  want." 

"I  wouldn't,  Hugh,"  she  entreated.  "If  we  leave 
them  alone,  they  may  go  away  presently."  He  looked 
at  her  and  laughed,  for  he  was  growing  less  uneasy 
with  each  passing  moment. 

"Hey,  there !"  he  yelled.    "How  are  you?" 


'  'HEY,  THERE  !'  HE  YELLED,  'HOW  ARE  YOU?' 


GODS    FROM    THE    SEA  215 

Slowly  the  head-bobbing  ceased  and  dark  faces  were 
lifted  toward  the  elevation.  For  the  first  time  the 
newcomers  saw  the  beautiful  face  of  Lady  Tennyson. 
They  struggled  to  their  feet,  the  tall  chief  stepping 
forward  with  outstretched  arms.  Then  in  some  wild 
gibberish  he  began  to  speak,  half  to  the  white  wit 
nesses,  half  to  the  sky  and  sun. 

"What  the  dickens  is  he  talking  about?"  murmured 
the  mystified  American.  "Perhaps  he's  asking  us  to 
surrender." 

"He  is  either  appealing  to  the  sun  or  praying  to 
the  sky,"  said  his  companion. 

"I  have  it !"  cried  Hugh.  "He  thinks  we  are  angels." 
Despite  the  gravity  of  the  moment  she  giggled  de 
lightedly. 

"Then  we  may  as  well  sit  down  and  await  develop 
ments,"  she  said  a  moment  later,  as  they  observed  the 
whole  band  go  face  downward  on  the  sand  again — all 
save  the  chief.  The  white  people  seated  themselves  on 
the  ledge  and  watched  the  impassioned  jabberer.  Pres 
ently  the  prostrate  figures  arose  and  in  mute  submis 
sion  spread  forth  their  arms  and  bent  their  heads, 
standing  like  bronze  statues  in  the  glaring  sunlight, 
all  to  the  increased  astonishment  of  those  who  had  ex 
pected  to  become  victims  of  their  torture. 

"This  beats  all  I  ever  knew,"  exclaimed  Ridgeway. 
"It  begins  to  look  as  though  they  are  either  friendly 
or  afraid  of  us.  What  shall  we  do?" 

"I  will  follow  you,  Hugh,  if  you  think  it  best  to  go 
down  to  them.  I  do  not  believe  they  will  harm  us." 


216  NEDRA 

"We  will  go  down  to  them,  but  we  must  not  let  them 
think  we  are  in  the  least  afraid  of  them." 

With  some  anxiety  and  a  decided  feeling  of  inse 
curity  they  arose  to  take  the  risk.  Putting  into  use  all 
the  composure  he  could  command,  he  deliberately  be 
gan  the  descent,  turning  to  assist  her  Ladyship. 

"They  are  on  the  ground  again,  bobbing  worse  than 
ever,"  she  whispered,  for  his  back  was  toward  them. 
In  a  few  minutes,  after  a  descent  made  more  tortuous 
by  the  uncertainty  of  its  ending,  they  found  themselves 
on  a  level  with  the  huddled  natives.  Taking  her  hand 
in  his  left  and  clutching  his  club  nervously  in  his  right, 
Hugh  advanced  slowly  toward  the  band.  Every  nerve 
in  his  body  was  quivering  under  the  strain  which  his 
apparent  coolness  cost.  When  within  fifteen  feet  of 
the  prostrate  figures  they  halted  and  Hugh  cried  out 
boldly: 

"Get  up!" 

Instead  of  obeying  the  command  instantly,  the  little 
band  peeped  slyly  at  the  strangers.  Then  they  strug 
gled  to  their  feet,  crowding  into  a  bunch,  the  picture 
of  bewilderment. 

"By  George,  they  look  at  us  as  if  they  never  had  seen 
white  people  before,"  said  Hugh.  With  stately  tread 
he  approached  the  now  trembling,  shrinking  natives, 
holding  his  left  hand  aloft  to  signify  graciousness. 
Lady  Tennys  walked  beside  him,  a  smile  playing  on 
her  exceedingly  pale  face.  "My  good  friends,  be  not 
afraid,"  said  he.  The  brown  men  looked  at  each  other 
in  deeper  wonder  than  before. 


GODS    FROM    THE    SEA  217 

The  leader,  a  perfect  giant,  stepped  forward  hesi 
tatingly,  fairly  pushed  on  by  his  comrades.  In  an 
awed  voice  he  gave  utterance  to  a  most  outlandish 
rattle  of  sound,  the  like  of  which  his  hearers  never 
had  heard.  In  conclusion  he  touched  his  mouth  and 
ears  and  shook  his  head  solemnly.  Hugh,  taking  the 
cue,  repeated  the  performance. 

"That  signifies  that  we  don't  understand  each  other. 
He  sha'n't  beat  me  on  the  sign  language,"  he  said.  "I 
believe  this  is  a  great  time  to  work  in  something  dra 
matic.  We  can  make  a  hit  by  simply  going  among 
them  and  laying  our  hands  on  their  heads.  It  will 
be  graceful  and  fetching,  I'm  sure.  First,  I  am  go 
ing  to  see  if  they  are  afraid  of  us."  He  suddenly 
threw  up  both  hands  and  cried  "Boo !"  in  a  loud  tone. 
The  eyes  of  the  watchers  hung  out  and  they  jumped 
like  so  many  mice  at  the  sound.  It  was  so  laughable 
that  she  was  compelled  to  place  her  handkerchief  over 
her  mouth  and  turn  her  head  away.  "I  guess  we've 
got  'em  pretty  well  paralyzed,"  grinned  Hugh.  Then 
he  went  among  them,  placing  his  hands  gently  upon 
their  woolly  heads,  Lady  Tennys  doing  likewise.  The 
flesh  of  the  savages  fairly  quivered  at  the  touch,  yet  all 
seemed  delighted  that  the  visitors  had  condescended 
to  lay  hands  of  kindness  upon  them.  They  began  to 
chatter  and  chant  softly,  all  the  time  eyeing  Hugh 
and  his  companion  with  reverence. 

"They  don't  seem  to  thaw  out  or  show  any  signs  of 
friendship,"  said  Hugh,  very  much  puzzled.  He  and 
his  companion  walked  over  to  the  shade  of  the  rock 


218  NEDRA 

and  calmly  sat  down  to  await  the  next  move.  They 
now  had  no  fear  of  harm  at  the  hands  of  the  simple 
though  savage-looking  men,  who  watched  them  from  a 
distance  jabbering  excitedly. 

"Hugh,  I  am  firmly  convinced  that  they  have  never 
seen  white  people  before.  They  don't  know  what  we 
are." 

For  five  minutes  they  sat  and  discussed  possibilities 
and  probabilities,  fully  realizing  that  they  were  ob 
jects  of  awe  to  the  savages.  Finally  the  tall  one 
left  the  group  and  drew  near  the  couple,  approaching 
in  fine  humility.  When  he  was  a  dozen  feet  from 
them,  they  arose,  extending  friendly  hands  toward 
him.  He  dropped  to  his  knees  and  fairly  ground  his 
head  upon  the  rock.  Then  he  arose  and  came  directly 
to  them.  Hugh  marvelled  at  his  size.  Tremendous 
muscles,  cords,  knots  and  ridges  stood  out  all  over  his 
symmetrical  body.  He  peered  intently  at  the  white 
man's  flesh  and  then  dubiously  at  his  own.  When  he 
turned  his  inspection  to  Tennys,  his  eyes  riveted  them 
selves  upon  her  clear  white  face,  the  most  gorgeously 
beautiful  flower  he  ever  had  seen.  He  could  not  grasp 
the  full  glory  of  that  dazzling  flower;  he  was  stupe 
fied,  helpless  before  the  blue  eyes  and  dazzling  smile. 
In  mute  idolatry  he  at  last  lifted  his  puzzled  gaze  to 
the  sun  and  then,  extending  his  great  arms  upward, 
uttered  a  few  low,  guttural  appeals  to  the  King  of  the 
sky. 

"He  thinks  we  are  from  the  sun,"  said  she,  keenly 
ingenious. 


GODS    FROM    THE    SEA  219 

"This  fellow  really  seems  quite  willing  to  worship 
us.  The  best  we  can  do  for  the  present  is  to  set 
ourselves  up  as  idols.  I  think  I  can  be  a  very  clever 
idol  with  precious  little  practice.  You  can  be  one 
without  an  effort.  Shall  we  set  up  a  worship  shop 
among  these  decidedly  willing  subjects?" 

"But,  Hugh,  if  we  go  away  from  the  coast  we  can 
not  hope  to  see  a  white  man  again ;  these  poor  fellows 
are  now,  for  the  first  time,  looking  upon  one.  Should 
we  not  stay  here?"  she  asked,  full  of  fear  and  per 
plexity.  • 

"If  a  white  man  ever  finds  this  land  he  will  discover 
us.  Besides,  we  cannot  live  on  this  rock  forever.  It 
would  only  be  a  question  of  time  until  we  should 
starve  or  be  killed  by  wild  beasts.  I  am  in  favor  of 
retaining  the  very  evident  monopoly  we  have  estab- 
ished  in  this  land  of  nowhere." 

"But  if  they  should  prove  treacherous?" 

"There's  no  mistaking  the  honesty  of  their  wonder. 
We  are  real  curiosities,  and  we  have  only  to  follow 
up  the  advantage  to  become  regular  despots."  He 
was  enthused  by  the  possibilities  that  thronged  his  im 
agination. 

"I  will  leave  it  all  to  you,  Hugh.  Do  what  you  think 
best,"  she  said  softly  and  resumed  her  seat  on  the  rock. 

With  his  heart  quickened  by  the  inspiration  in  that 
trusting  face,  Hugh  boldly  stepped  to  the  side  of  the 
brown  giant,  deliberately  taking  his  hand  to  lead  him 
to  the  edge  of  the  precipice. 

There,  by  signs  and  gesticulations,  he  endeavored  to 


220  NEDRA 

tell  him  that  they  came  from  over  the  sea.  From 
the  awed  expression  on  the  face  of  the  savage  he 
guessed  that  he  had  increased  the  mystery.  It  was 
quite  evident  that  his  auditor  now  believed  them  to 
be  from  the  bottom  of  the  sea  instead  of  from  the 
sun.  To  Hugh  it  mattered  little  as  long  as  he  could 
have  the  wand  of  power  over  their  heads.  He  de 
lighted  the  chief  by  making  him  understand  that  he 
and  his  companion  would  accompany  them  in  the  boats. 
The  word  was  conveyed  to  his  warriors,  and  a  wild 
chatter  of  joy  went  up  from  among  them.  They  fell 
upon  their  faces  and  groaned  in  mighty  discord. 

Within  a  quarter  of  an  hour  the  light  bark  canoes 
were  speeding  toward  the  harbor  mouth,  big  brown 
arms  manning  the  paddles  vigorously.  Ridgeway  and 
Tennys  sat  facing  each  other  in  the  foremost  boat, 
the  chief  steering.  Their  turtle  shell  was  in  another 
boat,  and  Hugh  did  not  forget  the  good  old  spar  that 
lay  on  the  beach  below.  Hour  after  hour  passed,  the 
oarsmen  paddling  the  same  stroke,  never  tiring,  never 
faltering.  The  passengers  at  last  began  to  lose  in 
terest  in  the  gorgeous  scenery  along  the  coast  they 
were  skirting.  Where  would  this  startling  journey 
end?  When  would  the  indefatigable  oarsmen  lay 
down  their  paddles  to  rest?  When  would  they  be  able 
to  procure  food  and  drink? 

The  sun  was  sinking  toward  the  water  line,  the 
forest  along  the  uneven  coast  was  merging  into  one 
vast  green  shadow,  the  waters  were  growing  blacker 
and  blacker,  and  yet  the  row  of  canoes  continued  its 


GODS    FROM    THE    SEA 

wearisome  glide  toward  a  seemingly  unattainable  end. 
Lady  Tennys  became  so  tired  and  sleepy  that  her  long 
lashes  could  not  be  restrained  from  caressing  her 
cheeks,  nor  could  her  dreamy  eyes  bear  the  strain  of 
wakefulness.  Hugh,  observing  her  fatigue,  per 
suaded  her  to  turn  about  in  the  boat  and  lie  back 
against  his  shoulder.  Soon  she  was  sleeping  soundly, 
her  face  protected  from  the  dying  sun  by  a  readjust 
ment  of  her  palm-leaf  bonnet. 

Ridgeway  was  beginning  to  fight  against  the  effects 
of  an  ungovernable  drowsiness  when  the  boat  in  which 
they  sat  suddenly  turned  toward  the  beach.  Long, 
powerful  strokes  sent  the  little  craft  whizzing  in  the 
new  direction.  Just  as  the  sun's  last  rays  lost  them 
selves  in  the  night,  the  prow  glided  upon  the  sand  and 
the  oarsmen  sprang  out  to  carry  him  and  the  fair 
sleeper  ashore. 


CHAPTER  XXII 
FLESH  SUCCEEDS  STONE 

LADY  TENNYS  rubbed  her  eyes  and  stared  blankly 
about  her  when  Hugh  awoke  her.  The  darkness  and 
the  strange  forms  frightened  her,  but  his  reassuring 
words  brought  remembrance  of  the  unique  trip  and 
with  it  the  dim  realization  that  they  had  landed  at 
last. 

If  their  first  landing  place  was  wonderful,  this  was 
doubly  so.  Despite  the  darkness,  they  were  able  to 
see  quite  distinctly  the  general  outline  of  the  coast. 
Two  mammoth  rocks,  as  large  apparently  as  the  one 
they  had  left  behind,  rose  toward  the  hazy  moonlit  sky, 
far  in  shore,  like  twin  sentinels,  black  and  forbidding. 
Between  them  a  narrow  stretch  of  sky  could  be  seen, 
with  the  moon  just  beyond.  Entranced,  they  gazed 
upon  the  vivid  yet  gloomy  panorama  bursting  from 
the  shades  of  night  almost  as  if  it  were  advancing 
upon  them.  So  immense,  so  startling,  were  these  vast 
towering  columns,  so  brilliant  was  the  sky  behind 
them,  that  the  wonder-struck  strangers  found  difficulty 
in  controlling  a  desire  to  turn  about  and  fly  from  the 
impending  rush  of  mountain,  moon  and  sky.  In  the 
first  moments  of  breathless  observation  it  seemed 
to  them  that  the  great  rocks  were  moving  toward 


FLESH  SUCCEEDS  STONE    223 

the  sea  and  that  the  sky  was  falling  with  them, 
giving  the  frightful  impression  that  they  were 
soon  to  be  crushed  in  the  ponderous  fall.  They 
were  exchanging  expressions  of  relief  when  the  big 
chief  came  up  and  prostrated  himself  at  their 
feet. 

Ridgeway  touched  his  shoulder  and  bade  him  arise, 
pointing  toward  the  mounts  and  their  attendant  glory. 
To  his  amazement  the  chief  uttered  an  exclamation 
of  satisfaction  and  abruptly  ran  back  to  the  boats.  In 
an  incredibly  short  space  of  time  the  restless  savages 
were  coming  up  the  beach  with  their  canoes  on  their 
shoulders,  heading  straight  for  the  opening  through 
which  the  moonlight  streamed.  Two  of  them  formed 
a  "basket,"  and  Lady  Tennys,  taking  her  seat  upon 
their  hands,  and  holding  timidly  to  their  hard,  muscu 
lar  shoulders,  was  borne  swiftly  onward  and  upward, 
Ridgeway  having  some  difficulty  in  keeping  pace  with 
the  human  carriage. 

Big  rocks  told  them  that  they  were  at  the  base  of 
the  rocky  columns  and  the  course  of  the  little  band  in 
dicated  that  they  were  to  pass  between  the  towering, 
almost  perpendicular  monsters.  Suddenly  the  little 
cavalcade  of  the  night  came  to  a  halt,  the  boats  were 
thrown  down  and  Hugh  arrived  at  the  conclusion  that 
they  were  to  stop  until  morning.  In  this  he  found 
himself  mistaken,  for  with  the  very  next  moment 
he  heard  the  splashing  of  water,  seemingly  beneath  his 
feet.  Up  to  now  he  had  been  looking  upward  at  the 
rift  in  the  rocks.  Instead  of  a  rocky  gorge  he  now  saw 


224.  NEDRA 

the  shimmering  of  water,  and  a  fresh  exclamation  of 
surprise  fell  from  his  lips. 

"Can  this  be  fairyland?"  he  cried,  completely  dazed. 

"We  must  be  dreaming,  Hugh,"  murmured  she.  The 
party  stood  at  the  water's  edge,  looking  up  through 
the  miniature  canon,  the  rushing  of  distant  rapids 
coming  to  their  ears. 

The  boats  were  lowered,  and  the  oarsmen  were  soon 
pulling  sturdily  between  the  tall  twins.  These  frown 
ing  monsters  formed  a  perfect  gateway  from  the  sea 
to  the  home  of  the  savages.  Hugh  felt  that  he  was 
shut  off  forever  from  the  outside  world  as  he  sur 
veyed,  with  sinking  heart,  the  portals  through  which 
they  had  passed.  Soon  a  second  landing  was  made, 
this  time  upon  soft,  rich  soil,  instead  of  crunching 
sand.  It  was  easy  to  tell  that  they  were  standing  on 
velvety  grass,  soft,  cool  and  dewy.  The  boats  were 
made  fast,  the  spar  and  shell  were  swung  upon  broad 
shoulders,  and  then  the  party  plunged  straight  into 
the  wood,  Lady  Tennys  being  carried  as  before. 

After  ten  minutes  of  rapid  walking  over  a  well-beaten 
trail  the  band  halted,  and  the  chief  uttered  several 
piercing  cries.  From  afar  off  in  the  still  night  came 
an  echoing  answer  and  again  the  march  was  resumed, 
the  travellers  keeping  close  to  the  bank  of  the  river. 
In  time  they  reached  an  open  stretch,  across  which 
the  escort  started,  turning  away  from  the  stream. 

There  were  fitful  flashes  of  light  ahead.  Across  the 
little  plain  came  a  jumble  of  flying  human  beings,  two 
or  three  bearing  torches.  They  seemed  to  have  sprung 


FLESH  SUCCEEDS  STONE    225 

from  the  ground,  so  abruptly  did  they  appear  before 
the  eyes  of  the  dumbfounded  strangers  in  this  strange 
land.  The  chief  went  forward  rapidly  and  checked 
the  advancing  figures,  preparing  them  for  what  was 
to  follow.  The  entire  company  prostrated  itself  in 
good  form. 

With  the  horde  of  stupefied  recruits  at  their  heels,  the 
white  people  at  length  entered  the  village,  which 
nestled  against  the  hillside.  Hundreds  of  dark,  almost 
naked,  savages  rushed  from  the  shadows,  the  news 
of  the  great  visitation  having  spread  like  wildfire.  By 
the  time  the  halt  was  made  in  front  of  a  large,  odd- 
looking  structure,  her  Ladyship  was  so  overcome  with 
excitement  that  she  could  hardly  stand.  Ridgeway 
caught  her  as  she  staggered  from  her  improvised  lit 
ter.  Presently  she  grew  stronger,  and  with  her  com 
panion  entered  what  was  apparently  a  palace  among 
the  squat,  queerly  built  houses. 

The  chief  ordered  torches  stuck  in  the  ground,  and 
a  bright,  strong  light  filled  the  interior.  They  found 
themselves  in  a  large  apartment,  twenty  by  thirty 
feet  in  size.  A  reed  or  grass  roof  provided  covering. 
This  roof,  like  those  in  civilized  lands,  ran  to  a  high 
point  in  the  centre,  the  sides  being  fully  twelve  feet 
from  the  ground.  There  were  no  windows  in  the  walls, 
but  as  they  did  not  come  within  three  feet  of  the 
roof,  there  was  ample  provision  for  ventilation  and 
light.  The  entrance  to  this  structure  was  through 
wide  portals,  reaching  from  ground  to  eaves.  There 
was  no  floor  save  the  earth,  but  there  were  rugs 


226  NEDRA 

made  from  the  skins  of  wild  animals.  Hugh  noticed 
with  a  thrill  of  excitement  that  among  them  were  tiger 
and  leopard  skins.  Directly  opposite  the  entrance 
stood  a  rough  and  peculiarly  hewn  stone,  resembling 
in  a  general  way  the  form  of  a  man,  colossal,  diaboli 
cal. 

"An  idol,"  whispered  Lady  Tennys  in  awed  tones. 

"Perhaps  it  would  be  wisdom  on  our  part  to  kneel 
before  the  thing,"  said  Hugh  calculatingly. 

"I'll  do  anything  you  think  best,"  she  said  reluc 
tantly,  kneeling  for  a  moment  with  him  before  the  idol. 
Whereupon  the  chief  and  his  attendants  shouted  for 
joy  and  fell  upon  their  much-used  faces.  The  popu 
lace,  thronging  about  the  temple,  took  up  the  cry,  and 
all  night  long  they  chanted  praise  to  the  living  gods. 
The  weird,  ghastly  figures  flitted  from  end  to  end  of 
the  mad  village  long  after  the  chief  and  his  party 
had  left  the  temple  to  the  sole  possession  of  the  new 
divinities. 

"I  wonder  if  they  expect  us  to  sit  up  forever  as  se 
dately  as  that  old  party  over  there,"  mused  Hugh, 
after  the  savages  had  withdrawn,  greatly  to  the  mys 
tification  of  their  guests.  "We're  evidently  left  here 
to  make  the  best  of  it.  I  fancy  we  are  now  supposed 
to  be  in  business  as  real  gods  with  a  steady  job  in 
the  temple." 

"I  am  beginning  to  think  we  have  come  to  a  terrible 
place,  Hugh.  How  fierce  and  wild  these  people  are! 
What  is  to  become  of  us  ?"  asked  she,  shivering  as  with 
a  chill.  "How  horrible  it  would  be  if  they  brought  us 


FLESH  SUCCEEDS  STONE    227 

here  as  a  sacrifice  to  this  beastly  idol.  Is  there  no 
way  of  escape?" 

"Nonsense !  We've  queered  this  antiquated  old  fossil 
forever.  Two  real  live  gods  are  worth  ten  thousand  stone 
quarries  like  that.  If  you  say  so,  I'll  have  a  few  of  his 
worshippers  take  him  down  and  toss  him  in  the  river." 

The  big  room  was  devoid  of  furniture  save  for  the 
rugs  and  several  blocks  of  stone  grouped  about  the 
idol.  Ridgeway  was  convinced  that  they  were  in  the 
sacred  place  of  worship.  Seating  themselves  rather 
sacrilegiously  upon  the  stone  blocks,  they  looked  about 
the  place  with  tired,  hopeless  eyes.  The  walls  were 
hung  with  spears,  war  clubs  and  other  ferocious 
weapons,  evidently  the  implements  of  defence  to  be 
used  by  the  stone  deity  in  case  of  emergency. 

"Well,"  quoth  Hugh,  after  the  gloomy  inspection, 
"they  must  think  that  gods  don't  sleep.  I  don't  see 
anything  that  looks  like  a  berth  around  here.  God 
or  no  god,  I  am  going  to  turn  in  somewhere  for  the 
night.  His  Reverence  may  be  disturbed  if  I  snore, 
but  I  dare  say  his  kick  won't  amount  to  much.  I'll  pile 
some  of  these  skins  over  in  that  corner  for  you  and 
then  I'll  build  a  nest  for  myself  near  the  door."  Suit 
ing  the  action  to  the  word,  he  proceeded  to  make  a  soft 
couch  for  her.  She  sat  by  and  watched  him  with 
troubled  eyes. 

"Do  you  think  it  safe  to  go  to  sleep  when  we  don't 
know  what  they  may  do  during  the  night  ?  They  may 
pounce  upon  us  and  kill  us."  Hugh  paused  in  his 
work  and  walked  to  her  side. 


228  NEDRA 

"Something  tells  me  we  are  safe  with  these  people. 
We  may  as  well  make  the  best  of  it,  anyhow.  We  are 
in  for  it,  and  I'll  bet  my  soul  we  come  out  all  right. 
Go  over  there  and  sleep.  I'll  be  the  first  one  killed 
if  they  attempt  violence.  Here's  a  club  that  will  down 
a  few  of  them  before  they  get  the  best  of  me."  He 
took  from  the  wall  a  great  murderous-looking  club  and 
swung  it  about  his  head. 

"I  want  to  be  killed  first,  Hugh,  if  it  comes  to  that. 
If  you  are  merciful,  you  will  kill  me  yourself  when 
you  see  that  it  is  their  intention  to  do  so,"  she  said 
earnestly. 

"Pooh,  there's  no  danger,"  he  said,  and  went  back 
to  his  work,  impressed  by  her  manner  more  than  he 
cared  to  admit.  With  her  chin  in  her  hands  she  re 
signedly  watched  him  complete  her  bed  of  tiger  skins. 

"We  have  desecrated  the  temple  by  disturbing  the 
rugs,"  she  said  at  length. 

"I'll  have  'em  make  some  hammocks  for  us  to-mor 
row  and  we'll  hang  'em  in  each  end  of  the  temple. 
And  we'll  also  have  this  place  divided  into  two  or  three 
apartments,  say  two  sleeping  rooms  and  a  parlor,  per 
haps  a  kitchen.  If  necessary,  an  addition  can  be 
stuck  on  just  back  of  where  the  idol  stands.  There'll 
be  great  doings  around  here  when  Yankee  progress 
takes  hold." 

"You  surely  do  not  mean  to  ruin  their  temple !  They 
will  be  up  in  arms,  Hugh." 

"Well,  they'll  have  to  endure  a  great  many  things 
if  they  expect  to  support  such  luxuries  as  we  are.  If 


FLESH  SUCCEEDS  STONE    229 

those  fellows  don't  quit  falling  down  and  bumping 
their  faces  on  the  ground,  I'm  going  to  have  a  lot  of 
pads  made  for  them  to  wear  when  they  think  there 
is  danger  of  meeting  us.  They'll  wear  their  faces 
out."  It  did  him  good  to  hear  her  laugh.  "Well, 
your  bed  is  ready,  my  Lady." 

"I  am  dying  for  a  drink  of  water.  Do  you  know 
how  long  it  has  been  since  we  touched  food  and  drink  ?" 

"All  day!  I  never  thought  of  it  until  this  minute. 
I  am  half  famished  myself,"  he  cried  in  dismay.  Then 
he  rushed  to  the  door  and  shouted  to  some  natives  who 
were  standing  near  by  eyeing  the  crude  building  in 
quisitively  by  the  light  of  a  single  torch.  "Hey ! 
you  fellows !" 

At  the  sight  of  his  white  figure  and  the  sound  of  his 
voice,  torch  and  all  fell  to  the  ground. 

"Get  up,  you  blamed  fools,"  called  the  white  man, 
walking  toward  them  in  exasperation.  They  arose 
tremblingly  as  he  drew  near,  and  he  managed  by  signs 
to  make  them  understand  that  he  wanted  food  and 
drink.  Away  they  dashed,  and  he  re-entered  the  tem 
ple.  Lady  Tennys  was  laughing. 

"What  are  you  laughing  at?"  he  asked  in  sur 
prise. 

"It  was  so  funny  to  hear  you  call  them  fools." 

"I  hope  they  understood  me.  Anyhow,  they've  gone 
for  the  fatted  cocoanut  or  something  equally  as  ori 
ental." 

In  less  time  than  seemed  possible  the  happy  mes 
sengers  arrived  at  the  door  with  food  enough  for 


230  NEDRA 

a  dozen  hungry  people.  The  giant  chief  followed  his 
subjects,  and  it  was  through  his  hands  that  Hugh 
received  the  welcome  food.  The  white  people  were 
gratified  t)  find  in  the  assortment  rich  bananas  and 
oranges,  raw  meat,  peculiar  shell  fish,  berries  and 
vegetables  resembling  the  tomato.  At  first  the  natives 
looked  a  little  dismayed  over  the  disordered  condition 
of  the  temple,  but  no  sign  of  resentment  appeared, 
much  to  the  relief  of  Lady  Tcimys.  The  luscious  of 
ferings  were  placed  on  one;  of  the  stone  blocks  as  fast 
as  they  were  handed  to  Ridgeway,  the  natives  looking 
on  in  feeble  consternation. 

The  chief  was  the  only  one  to  enter  the  temple,  and 
he  started  to  prostrate  himself  before  the  stone  idol. 
He  appeared  to  be  at  a  loss  as  to  what  course  he  should 
pursue.  Hugh  promptly  relieved  him.  Shaking  his 
head  vigorously,  he  pointed  to  the  stone  image,  signi 
fying  that  there  were  to  be  no  more  salutations  be 
stowed  upon  it,  all  homage  being  due  to  himself  and 
the  lady.  The  fickle  pagan,  after  a  waning  look  of 
love  for  their  renounced  idol,  proceeded  to  treat  it 
with  scorn  by  devoting  himself  entirely  to  the  usurpers. 
He  brought  cocoanut  shells  filled  with  cool  water,  and 
the  thirsty  ones  drank. 

"We  seem  to  have  got  here  in  the  fruit,  fish,  vege 
table  and  novelty  season,  to  say  the  least,"  observed 
Hugh. 

"Isn't  it  wonderful?"  was  all  she  could  say,  her  eyes 
sparkling.  Never  had  he  seen  her  so  ravishingly  beau 
tiful  as  now,  filled  as  she  was  with  the  mingled  emotions 


FLESH    SUCCEEDS    STONE 

of  fear,  excitement,  interest,  even  of  rapture.  He 
could  not  prevent  or  subdue  the  thrill  of  indescrib 
able  joy  which  grew  out  of  the  selfish  thought  that 
he  had  saved  her  and  that  she  must  lean  upon  him 
solely  for  protection  in  this  wild  land.  Turning 
sharply  from  her,  he  glanced  at  the  tempting  feast 
and  unceremoniously  dismissed  the  chief  and  his  fol 
lowers.  The  big  savage  stood  undecided  for  a  mo 
ment  in  the  centre  of  the  room,  wavering  between  fear 
of  the  new  god's  displeasure  and  an  evident  desire  to 
perform  some  service. 

After  an  instant  he  boldly  strode  to  a  stone  block 
back  of  and  to  the  left  of  the  image.  Seizing  it  by 
the  top,  he  gave  the  impression  that  he  was  about  to 
lift  the  great  stone.  Instead,  however,  he  merely  slid 
from  its  position  a  thin  slab,  pushing  it  half  way 
off  of  its  square  base.  Instantly  the  sound  of  rushing 
water  filled  the  ear,  and  the  unaccountable,  muffled 
roar  that  had  puzzled  them  was  half  explained.  The 
block  was  hollow,  revealing  a  deep,  black  hole,  out  of 
which  poured  the  sound  of  the  hidden  stream.  The 
mystified  observers  could  plainly  see  the  water  some 
ten  feet  below  the  surface  of  the  earth,  gliding  swiftly 
off  through  a  subterranean  passage.  The  chief  made 
them  understand  that  this  well  was  for  the  purpose  of 
supplying  the  image  with  drinking  water  whenever  he 
needed  it. 

"That's  very  interesting,"  said  Hugh  to  Tennys. 
"I'll  have  to  see  where  this  water  comes  from  to-mor 
row.  From  a  practical  point  of  view  it  is  the  finest 


NEDRA 

bit  of  natural  sewerage  I  ever  have  seen.  I'll  make 
arrangements  to  tap  it,  if  we  are  to  live  here." 

"You  lawless  Americans !" 

Apparently  satisfied,  the  chief  and  his  staring  com 
panions  withdrew,  devoutly  prostrating  themselves  not 
to  the  graven  image,  but  to  the  living,  breathing  be 
ings  who  were  awaiting,  with  an  ungodlike  appetite, 
an  opportunity  to  make  way  with  the  tempting  fruit. 

"It  is  ridiculous  to  allow  those  poor  things  to  fall 
down  like  that  every  time  they  turn  around  before  us," 
she  said,  when  they  were  alone. 

"We  must  encourage  it.  If  we  are  to  be  idols  we 
can't  afford  to  give  our  subjects  a  bit  of  relief  from 
their  religious  obligations,  and  I'm  quite  sure  we  are 
idols  or  sovereigns,  more  than  likely  the  former,  judg 
ing  by  the  snubbing  our  flinty  friend  has  received." 

"If  we  are  to  live  among  these  people,  Hugh  Ridge- 
way,  I,  for  one,  intend  to  tell  them,  if  possible,  of 
the  real  God,  and  to  do  what  I  can  for  a  cause  I 
served  but  feebly  in  the  past.  I  may  be  a  poor  mis 
sionary,  but  I  intend  to  try  in  my  weak  way  to  do 
some  good  among  these  poor,  benighted  creatures." 

"I  think  we'd  better  let  well  enough  alone,"  said  he 
disparagingly. 

"Why,  Hugh,  how  can  you  say  that?" 

"I  haven't  thought  very  much  about  God  since  I've 
been  in  this  land.  I've  been  too  busy,"  he  muttered, 
with  no  little  shame  in  his  face,  although  he  assumed 
an  air  of  indifference. 

"He  saved  us  from  the  sea,"  she  said  simply,  with 


FLESH  SUCCEEDS  STONE    233 

a  tremor  in  her  voice.  "Surely  you  remember  the 
prayers  you  uttered  from  your  very  soul  on  that  night. 
Were  they  not  to  God?" 

"Begin  your  missionary  work  with  me,  Tennys.  I 
am  worse  than  the  savages,"  he  said,  not  in  answer  to 
her  question. 

Silently  and  greedily  they  ate  of  the  delicious  fruit, 
and  found  new  sensations  in  the  taste  of  more  than 
one  strange  viand  of  nature.  A  calm  restfulness  set 
tled  down  upon  their  tired  bodies,  and  all  the  world 
seemed  joyfully  at  peace  with  them. 

Almost  overcome  by  sleep,  he  managed  to  toss  a  few 
tiger  skins  on  the  ground  near  the  door,  not  forget 
ting  to  place  his  club  beside  the  improvised  couch. 
"Sleep  comfortably  and  don't  be  afraid,"  he  said.  She 
slowly  arose  from  the  block  and  threw  herself  on  the 
bed  of  skins. 

"You  are  so  good  to  me  and  so  thoughtful,"  she 
murmured  sleepily.  "Good-night!" 

"Good-night,"  came  his  far  away  voice,  as  out  of  a 
dream. 

Outside,  the  celebration  was  at  its  height,  but  the 
tired  idols  heard  not  a  sound  of  the  homage  which  was 
theirs  that  night. 


CHAPTER  XXIII 
THE  TRANSFORMATION  BEGINS 

WHEN  Ridgeway  opened  his  eyes,  the  sunlight  was 
pouring  in  upon  him  through  the  doorway.  He  looked 
at  his  watch,  and  was  surprised  to  find  that  it  was 
nearly  eleven  o'clock.  Lady  Tennys  still  slept  on  her 
couch  of  skins ;  the  torches  had  burned  to  the  ground ; 
the  grim  idol  leered  malignantly  upon  the  intruders, 
and  the  dream  that  he  had  experienced  during  the 
night  was  rudely  dispelled.  *  His  eyes  strayed  again 
to  the  black,  glossy,  confused  hair  of  the  sleeper  in 
the  far  corner,  and  a  feeling  of  ineffable  pity  for  her 
became  companion  to  the  sad  wrenches  that  had  grown 
from  the  misery  of  his  own  unhappiness. 

She  was  sleeping  on  her  side,  her  face  from  him,  her 
right  arm  beneath  her  head,  the  dainty  jewelled  hand 
lying  limply  upon  the  spotted  leopard  skin.  The 
beautifully  moulded  figure,  slight  yet  perfect,  swelling 
to  the  well-turned  hip,  tapering  to  the  tip  of  the  trim 
shoe  which  protruded  from  beneath  the  rumpled  skirt, 
affording  a  tin}'  glimpse  of  a  tempting  ankle,  was  to 
him  a  most  pathetic  picture.  As  he  was  about  to  turn  to 
the  door,  she  awakened  with  a  start  and  a  faint  cry. 
Sitting  half  erect,  she  gave  a  terrified,  bewildered 
glance  about  her,  her  eyes  at  last  falling  upon  him. 


THE    TRANSFORMATION    BEGINS     235 

"Are  you  really  here?"  she  cried,  joy  rushing  to 
her  eyes.  "I  dreamed  that  you  had  fled  and  left  me 
to  be  cut  to  pieces  by  the  savages." 

"Dreams  go  by  contraries,  and  I  am,  therefore,  a 
very  brave  man.  But  come,  it  is  eleven  o'clock.  Let 
us  see  what  this  place  looks  like  in  the  sunlight." 

Together  they  went  to  the  wide  entrance.  A  sur 
prise  awaited  them  in  their  first  view  of  the  village  by 
day.  Along  the  base  of  the  circular  range  of  hills 
stretched  the  email  homes  of  the  inhabitants,  but, 
search  as  they  would,  they  could  discover  no  signs  of 
life.  There  was  not  a  human  form  in  sight. 

"What  the  dev — dickens  does  this  mean?"  exclaimed 
he. 

"It  seemed  as  if  there  were  thousands  of  them  here 
last  night,"  she  cried. 

"Maybe  we  have  lost  our  worshippers.  I  wonder  if 
we  are  to  be  the  sole  possessors  of  this  jungle 
metropolis  ?" 

A  mile  away  they  could  distinguish  the  banks  of  the 
river,  running  toward  the  great  stone  gateway  of  this 
perfect  Eden.  The  plain  between  the  hills  and  the 
river  was  like  a  green,  annular  piece  of  velvet,  not 
over  a  mile  in  diameter,  skirted  on  all  sides  by  tree- 
covered  highlands.  The  river  ran  directly  through 
the  centre  of  the  basin,  coming  from  the  forest  land 
to  their  right. 

In  some  trepidation  they  walked  to  the  corner  of  the 
temple  and  surveyed  the  hillside.  Rising  steeply  from 
the  low  ground  ran  the  green  slope,  at  the  top  of 


236  NEDRA 

which  grew  huge  trees.  The  village  lay  at  the  base 
of  the  hills  and  was  over  a  mile  long,  a  perfect  semi 
circle  of  strange  little  huts,  stretched  out  in  a  single 
line,  with  the  temple  as  its  central  point. 

"There  is  the  beginning  of  our  underground  stream," 
exclaimed  he,  pointing  up  the  elevation.  A  fierce  little 
stream  came  plunging  from  the  very  heart  of  the 
mound,  half  way  to  the  summit,  tearing  eagerly  to 
the  bottom,  where  it  disappeared  in  the  ground. 

Suddenly  the  sound  of  distant  shouting — or  chant 
ing,  to  be  explicit — and  the  beating  of  drums  came  to 
their  ears.  They  searched  the  hills  and  valley  with 
alarm  and  dread  in  their  eyes,  but  there  was  no  sign 
of  humanity.  For  many  minutes  the  chanting  con 
tinued,  growing  louder  in  volume  as  it  drew  nearer. 
At  last  Lady  Tennys  uttered  an  exclamation  and 
pointed  toward  an  opening  in  the  ridge  far  to  the 
left  of  the  village.  A  string  of  natives  came  winding 
slowly,  solemnly  from  this  cleft — men,  women  and 
children  apparently  without  end. 

The  white  people  stood  like  statues  in  the  doorway, 
watching  the  approach  of  the  brown  figures.  There 
were  fully  two  thousand  in  that  singular  procession, 
at  the  head  of  which  strode  the  big  chief,  with  per 
haps  fifty  native  women  at  his  heels. 

"His  multiplied  wife,"  observed  Hugh  sententiously. 

"Do  you  think  all  of  them  are  his  wives?"  said  she, 
doubtingly. 

"It  seems  to  be  a  heathen's  choice  to  punish  himself 
on  earth  and  avoid  it  in  the  hereafter." 


THE    TRANSFORMATION    BEGINS     237 

Behind  the  women  came  five  men  wearing  long  white 
robes  and  carrying  unusually  long  spears.  They  were 
followed  by  the  rabble.  At  length  the  weird  cavalcade, 
marching  straight  across  the  plain,  came  to  a  halt 
not  more  than  a  hundred  feet  from  the  entrance  to 
the  temple.  The  chief  advanced  a  few  steps,  pausing 
at  the  edge  of  a  bare,  white  spot  of  ground  some  ten 
feet  square.  Then,  after  a  most  reverential  bow,  he 
tossed  a  small  reddish  chunk  of  wood  into  the  white 
square.  No  sooner  had  the  leader  deposited  his  piece 
of  wood  than  forward  came  the  women,  the  white-robed 
men,  and  then  the  rag-tag  of  the  population,  each  per 
son  tossing  a  piece  upon  the  rapidly  growing  heap. 
In  silent  amusement,  Ridgeway  and  Lady  Tennys 
watched  this  strange  ceremony. 

"They've  been  visiting  somebody's  woodpile,"  spec 
ulated  Hugh. 

"Perhaps  they  intend  to  roast  us  alive,"  ventured 
she. 

The  small  army  fell  back  from  the  pile  of  wood, 
the  chief  maintaining  a  position  several  feet  to  the 
fore,  a  lad  behind  him  bearing  a  lighted  torch.  After 
many  signs  and  presumably  devout  antics,  one  of  the 
spearmen  took  the  torch  and  lighted  this  contribution 
from  a  combined  populace.  As  the  thin  column  of 
smoke  arose  on  the  still,  hot  air,  the  vast  crowd  fell 
to  the  ground  as  one  person,  arising  almost  instantly 
to  begin  the  wildest,  most  uncanny  dance  that  mortal 
ever  saw.  The  smoke  and  flames  grew,  the  dry  wood 
crackled,  the  spearmen  poked  it  with  their  long 


238  NEDRA 

weapons,  and  the  vast  brown  audience  went  into  a 
perfect  frenzy  of  fervor. 

Not  until  the  pile  was  reduced  to  ashes  did  the  smoke 
dance  cease.  The  spearmen  retired,  and  the  big  chief 
came  forward  with  a  tread  so  ludicrously  grand  that 
they  could  scarce  refrain  from  laughter.  He  carried 
two  short  staffs  in  his  hands,  the  heads  of  which  were 
nothing  less  than  the  skulls  of  infants.  To  the  dis 
gust  of  the  white  people  the  chief  presented  to  each 
of  them  a  shudder-inspiring  wand.  Afterward  they 
learned  that  the  skull-tipped  staffs  signified  death  to 
all  who  opposed  their  way.  They  also  learned  that  the 
red  bits  of  wood  that  had  gone  up  in  the  flame  were 
stained  by  the  blood  of  a  half  dozen  prisoners  of  war, 
executed  the  night  before  as  a  sacrifice  to  the  new 
gods. 

The  new  monarchs  accepted  the  sceptres  gingerly 
and  the  wildest  glee  broke  loose  in  the  waiting  throng. 
While  they  danced  and  shouted,  Hugh  inwardly 
cursed  the  ostentation  that  was  delaying  breakfast. 

Impatiently  he  made  the  chief  understand  what  was 
wanted,  and  that  worthy  proved  an  excellent  substi 
tute  for  the  genii.  He  rushed  over  and  bawled  a  few 
commands,  and  a  dozen  women  and  men  sped  away  like 
the  wind.  A  few  moments  later  the  chief  entered  the 
temple  and  found  Ridgeway  calmly  measuring  off  the 
ground  for  the  partitions  that  were  to  transform  one 
room  into  three. 

So  apt  was  the  white  man  at  sign  making  and  so  apt 
was  the  brown  man  at  understanding  that  before  an 


THE    TRANSFORMATION    BEGINS     239 

hour  had  passed  a  dozen  strong  fellows  were  at  work, 
carrying  out  the  designs  of  the  new  idol,  the  morning 
meal  having  been  disposed  of  in  the  meantime.  Using 
the  same  kind  of  material  that  comprised  the  outer 
walls,  a  partition  was  constructed  lengthwise  through 
the  centre  of  the  temple.  The  front  half  was  left  as 
a  reception  hall  and  living  room  and  the  rear  half  was 
divided  into  two  apartments,  each  fifteen  feet  square. 
They  were  to  serve  as  sleeping  rooms.  These  ruthless 
improvements  made  it  necessary  to  remove  the  great 
stone  idol  from  his  pedestal. 

"Chuck  him  out  into  the  backyard,"  said  Hugh. 
That  evening  the  poor  old  image,  as  disgusted  as  a 
piece  of  rock  could  possibly  be,  was  carried  to  the 
river  and  tossed  into  the  rapids,  his  successors  stand 
ing  with  the  multitude  on  the  high  bank  to  witness 
his  disappearance  and  to  hear  his  unhappy  kerplunk! 
The  waters  closed  over  his  unhallowed  head  and  the 
new  dispensation  began.  Back  across  the  little  plain 
to  the  torch-lit  village  swarmed  the  fickle,  joyous  sav 
ages. 

"Good  Lord,"  observed  Hugh,  "what  a  ferocious 
crowd  it  is !  They  tear  their  enemies  to  pieces  and  yet 
we  have  them  under  our  thumbs — for  the  present  at 
least." 

"I  believe  they  are  naturally  intelligent,  and  I'm 
sure  we  can  help  them.  Do  you  know  what  those 
white  robes  are  made  from?" 

"Certainly.     Cotton." 

"It  is  woven  grass.    They  bleach  it.    The  women  do 


240  NEDRA 

the  work  down  by  the  river,  and  the  robes  worn  by 
their  spearmen  are  really  beautiful  pieces  of  fabric." 

"I  am  going  to  leave  my  measure  for  a  pair  of  white 
grass  trousers,"  said  Hugh  lightly,  "and  an  umbrella," 
he  added,  looking  up  at  the  broiling  sky. 

Together  the  white  usurpers  planned  many  impor 
tant  improvements  against  the  probability  of  a  long 
stay  among  the  savages.  A  wonderful  system  of  sew 
erage  was  designed — and  afterward  carried  out  faith 
fully.  A  huge  bath  pool  was  to  be  sunk  for  Lady 
Tennys  in  the  rear  of  her  apartment;  a  kitchen  and 
cold-storage  cellar  were  to  grow  off  the  west  end  of 
the  temple  and  a  splendid  awning  was  to  be  ordered 
for  the  front  porch !  Time  and  patience  were  to  give 
them  all  of  these  changes.  Time  was  of  less  conse 
quence  than  patience,  it  may  be  well  to  add.  The  slav 
ing  retinue  was  willing  but  ignorant. 

The  adoring  chief  gave  Tennys  a  group  of  ten  hand 
maidens  before  the  day  was  over,  and  Hugh  had  a 
constant  body  guard  of  twenty  stalwarts — which  he 
prosaically  turned  into  carpenters,  stone-masons,  er 
rand  boys  and  hunters. 

"You  must  not  try  to  civilize  them  in  a  day,"  she 
smilingly  protested  when  he  became  particularly  en 
thusiastic. 

"Well,  just  see  what  we  have  done  to-day,"  he  cried. 
"How  can  you  account  for  the  enforced  abdication 
of  old  Uncle  Rocksy,  the  transformation  of  his  pal 
ace  into  a  commodious,  three-room  lodging-house,  and 
all  such  things,  unless  you  admit  that  we  are  here  to  do 


THE    TRANSFORMATION    BEGINS 

as  we  please?  We'll  make  a  metropolitan  place  out 
of  this  hamlet  in  a  year  if  we " 

"A  year !  Oh,  don't  suggest  such  a  possibility,"  she 
cried.  "I'd  die  if  I  thought  we  were  to  be  here  for  a 
year." 

"I  hope  we  won't,  but  we  may  as  well  look  the  situa 
tion  straight  in  the  face.  There  has  been  no  white 
man  here  before  us.  It  is  by  the  rarest  chance  in 
the  world  that  we  are  here.  Therefore,  it  may  be 
years  before  we  are  found  and  taken  away  from  this 
undiscovered  paradise." 

The  flickering,  fitful  light  of  the  torches  stuck  in 
the  ground  behind  them  played  upon  two  white 
faces  from  which  had  fled  the  zeal  and  fervor  of 
the  moment  before,  leaving  them  drawn  and  dis 
pirited. 

"All  our  lives,  perhaps,"  she  murmured. 

"With  these  savages  as  our  only  companions,  worse 
than  death  a  thousand  times,"  he  groaned,  starting 
to  his  feet  with  the  vehemence  of  new  despair.  "Could 
anything  be  worse  than  the  existence  that  lies  before 
us?" 

"Yes,"  she  cried,  arising,  throwing  back  her  shoul 
ders  and  arms,  lifting  her  face  and  breathing  long 
draughts  of  the  cool,  pure  air.  "Yes !  The  existence 
that  lies  behind  is  worse  than  the  one  ahead.  No  life 
can  be  worse  than  the  one  from  which  I  have  escaped. 
Welcome,  eternal  solitude !  Farewell,  ambition,  heart- 
pangs  and  the  vain  mockery  of  womanhood!  To 
be  free  is  heaven,  no  matter  what  the  cost,  Hugh." 


NEDRA 

"Do  you  mean  that  you  would  rather  live  here  for 
ever  than  go  back  to  the  old  life?" 

"If  I  must  stay  here  to  be  free,  I  am  willing  to  live 
in  this  miserable  village  to  the  very  end,  rejoicing 
and  not  complaining." 

"I  never  associated  you  with  real  unhappiness  until 
you  uttered  that  last  sentence." 

"I  should  not  be  selfish,  though,"  she  said  quickly. 
"You  are  so  unhappy,  you  have  lost  so  much.  We  are 
to  be  alone  here  in  this  land,  Hugh,  you  and  I,  for 
ever.  I  will  prove  to  you  that  I  am  more  than  the 
frail,  helpless  woman  that  circumstances  may  seem  to 
have  shaped  me,  and  you  shall  have  from  me  all  the 
aid  and  encouragement  that  a  good,  true  woman  can 
give.  Sometimes  I  shall  be  despondent  and  regretful, 
— I  can't  help  it,  I  suppose — but  I  shall  try  with 
you  to  make  the  wilderness  cheerful.  Who  knows 
but  that  we  may  be  found  by  explorers  within  a  month. 
Let  us  talk  about  our  new  subjects  out  there  on  the 
plain.  How  many  of  them  are  there  in  this  village?" 

She  won  him  from  the  despondency  into  which  he 
was  sinking,  and,  be  it  said  to  her  credit,  she  did  not 
allow  him  to  feel  from  that  time  forth  that  she  was 
aught  but  brave,  confident  and  sustaining.  She  was 
a  weak  woman,  and  she  knew  that  if  once  the  strong 
man  succumbed  to  despair  she  was  worse  than  help 
less. 


CHAPTER  XXIV 
NEDRA 

THE  next  month  passed  much  more  quickly  than  any 
previous  month  within  the  lives  of  the  two  castaways. 
Each  day  brought  forth  fresh  novelties,  new  sensa 
tions,  interesting  discoveries.  Her  courage  was  an 
inspiration,  a  revelation  to  him.  Despite  the  fact  that 
their  journeyings  carried  them  into  thick  jungles 
where  wild  beasts  abounded,  she  displayed  no  sign  of 
fear.  Jaunty,  indifferent  to  danger,  filled  with  an 
exhilaration  that  bespoke  the  real  love  for  adventure 
common  among  English  women,  she  traversed  with  him 
the  forest  land,  the  plains,  the  hills,  the  river,  and, 
lastly,  the  very  heart  of  the  jungle.  They  were  sel 
dom  apart  from  the  time  they  arose  in  the  morning 
until  the  hour  when  they  separated  at  night  to  retire 
to  their  apartments. 

Exploration  proved  that  they  were  on  an  island  of 
considerable  dimensions,  perhaps  twenty  miles  long 
and  nearly  as  wide.  The  only  human  inhabitants  were 
those  in  the  village  of  Ridgehunt,  as  the  new  arrivals 
christened  it, — combining  the  first  syllables  of  their 
own  names.  From  the  tops  of  the  great  gate  posts, 
christened  by  Lady  Tennys,  far  across  the  water  to 
the  north,  could  be  seen  the  shadowy  outlines  of  an- 


244  NEDRA 

other  island.  This  was  inhabited  by  a  larger  tribe 
than  that  which  constituted  the  population  of  Ridge- 
hunt. 

A  deadly  feud  existed  between  the  two  tribes.  There 
had  been  expeditions  of  war  in  the  past,  and  for 
months  the  fighting  men  of  Ridgehunt  had  been  ex 
pecting  an  attack  from  the  island  of  Oolooz.  Nearly 
twenty  miles  of  water  separated  the  two  islands.  The 
attacking  force  would  have  to  cover  that  distance  in 
small  craft.  Shortly  before  the  advent  of  the  white 
people,  King  Pootoo's  men  captured  a  small  party  of 
scouts  who  had  stolen  across  the  main  on  a  tour  of 
exploration.  They  were  put  to  death  on  the  night  of 
the  arrival  in  Ridgehunt.  A  traitor  in  their  midst  had 
betrayed  the  fact  that  Oolooz  contemplated  a  grand 
assault  before  many  weeks  had  gone.  Guards  sta 
tioned  on  the  summits  of  the  gate  posts  constantly 
watched  the  sea  for  the  approach  of  the  great  flotilla 
from  Oolooz.  King  Pootoo  had  long  been  preparing 
to  resist  the  attack.  There  were  at  least  five  hundred 
able-bodied  men  in  his  band,  and  Hugh  could  not 
but  feel  a  thrill  of  admiration  as  he  looked  upon  the 
fierce,  muscular  warriors  and  their  ugly  weapons. 

He  set  about  to  drill  them  in  certain  military  tactics, 
and  they,  believing  him  to  be  a  god  whom  no  enemy 
could  overthrow,  obeyed  his  slightest  command.  Under 
his  direction  breastworks  were  thrown  up  along  the 
western  hills,  trenches  were  dug,  and  hundreds  of  huge 
boulders  were  carried  to  the  summits  overlooking  the 
pass,  through  which  the  enemy  must  come  in  order  to 


NEDRA  245 

reach  the  only  opening  in  the  guerdon  of  the  hills. 
It  was  his  plan  to  roll  these  boulders  from  the  steep 
crests  into  the  narrow  valley  below  just  as  the  in 
vaders  charged  through,  wreaking  not  only  disaster 
but  disorder  among  them,  no  matter  how  large  their 
force.  There  was  really  but  one  means  of  access  by 
land  to  the  rock-guarded  region,  and  it  was  here  that 
he  worked  the  hardest  during  the  fourth  week  of  their 
stay  among  the  savages. 

He  was  working  for  his  own  and  her  safety  and 
freedom.  In  Ridgehunt  they  were  idols ;  in  the  hands 
of  the  unknown  foe  their  fate  might  be  the  cruel  re 
verse.  Pride  in  the  man  who  was  to  lead  their  brown 
friends  to  victory  swelled  in  the  heart  of  the  fair  Brit 
on,  crowding  back  the  occasional  fear  that  he  might 
be  conquered  or  slain.  She  had  settled  upon  the 
course  to  pursue  in  case  there  was  a  battle  and  her 
protector  fell.  A  dagger  made  from  the  iron-like 
wood  used  by  the  natives  in  the  manufacture  of  spears 
and  knives  hung  on  the  wall  of  her  room.  When  he 
died,  so  should  she,  by  her  own  hand. 

Gradually  they  began  to  grasp  the  meaning  of  cer 
tain  words  in  the  native  language.  Hugh  was  able 
after  many  days  to  decide  that  the  natives  knew  noth 
ing  of  the  outside  world  and,  furthermore,  that  no 
ships  came  into  that  part  of  the  sea  on  account  of  the 
immense  number  of  hidden  reefs.  The  island  on  which 
they  had  been  cast  bore  a  name  which  sounded  so  much 
like  Nedra  that  they  spelled  it  in  that  way.  In  course 
of  time  she  christened  the  spots  of  interest  about  her. 


246  NEDRA 

Her  list  of  good  English  names  for  this  utterly 
heathen  community  covered  such  places  as  Velvet  Val 
ley,  Hamilton  Hills,  Shadburn  Rapids,  Ridgeway 
River,  Veath  Forest  and  others.  Ridgeway  gave  name 
to  the  temple  in  which  the  natives  paid  homage  to 
them.  He  called  it  Tennys  Court. 

Her  room  in  the  remodelled  temple  was  a  source  of 
great  delight  to  Lady  Tennys.  It  was  furnished  lux 
uriously.  There  were  couches,  pillows,  tables,  chairs, 
tiger-skin  rugs,  and — window  curtains.  A  door  opened 
into  her  newly  constructed  bath  pool,  and  she  had  salt 
or  fresh  water,  as  she  chose.  The  pool  was  deep  and 
clay  lined  and  her  women  attendants  were  models  of 
the  bath  after  a  few  days.  She  learned  the  language 
much  easier  than  Hugh.  He  was  highly  edified  when 
she  told  him  that  his  new  name  was  Izor — never  ut 
tered  without  touching  the  head  to  the  ground.  Her 
name  was  also  Izor,  but  she  blushed  readily  when  he 
addressed  her  as  Mrs.  Izor — without  the  grand  curt 
sey.  The  five  spearmen  were  in  reality  priests,  and 
they  were  called  Mozzos.  She  also  learned  that  the 
chief  who  found  them  on  the  rock  was  no  other  than 
the  mighty  King  Pootoo  and  that  he  had  fifty  wives. 
She  knew  the  names  of  her  womefc,  of  many  children 
and  of  the  leading  men  in  the  village. 

The  feeble  sprout  of  Christianity  was  planted  by 
this  good  British  girl.  It  had  appeared  to  be  a  hope 
less  task,  but  she  began  at  the  beginning  and  fought 
with  Mercy  as  her  lieutenant.  Humanity  was  a 
stranger  to  these  people  when  she  found  them,  but  she 


NEDRA  247 

patiently  sowed  the  seeds  and  hoped.  A  people  capa 
ble  of  such  idolatry  as  these  poor  wretches  had  shown 
themselves  to  be  certainly  could  be  led  into  almost  any 
path  of  worship,  she  argued. 

Late  in  the  afternoon  of  their  thirty-third  day  on 
the  island  the  white  idol  of  Nedra  swung  lazily  in  her 
hammock,  which  was  stretched  from  post  to  post  be 
neath  the  awning.  Two  willowy  maidens  in  simple 
brown  were  fanning  her  with  huge  palm  leaves.  She 
was  the  personification  of  pretty  indolence.  Her 
dreamy  eyes  were  turned  toward  the  river  and  there 
was  a  tender,  eager  longing  in  their  depths.  Hugh 
was  off  in  the  hills  with  his  workmen  and  the  hour  had 
passed  for  him  to  emerge  from  the  woodland  on  his 
way  to  the  village. 

The  shadows  of  night  were  beginning  to  settle 
upon  the  baking  earth  and  a  certain  uneasiness  was 
entering  her  bosom.  Then  she  caught  a  glimpse  of 
his  figure  in  the  distance.  With  his  swarm  of  soldiers 
behind  him  he  came  from  the  forest  and  across  the  nar 
row  lowlands  toward  the  river.  He  steadfastly  re 
fused  to  be  carried  to  and  from  the  "fortifications" 
in  the  rude  litter  that  had  been  constructed  for  him, 
a  duplicate  of  which  had  been  made  for  her.  A  native 
with  a  big  white  umbrella  was  constantly  at  his  side 
and  King  Pootoo  was  in  personal  command  of  the 
workmen  as  "sub-boss."  Ridgeway  jocosely  charac 
terized  his  hundred  workmen  as  "Micks,"  and  they 
had  become  expert  wielders  of  the  wooden  pick,  shovel 
and  crowbar.  In  the  village  there  were  the  three  hun- 


NEDRA 

dred  tired  armorers  who  had  worked  all  day  among 
the  hard  saplings  in  the  country  miles  to  the  south. 
It  was  their  duty  to  make  an  inexhaustible  supply  of 
spears,  swords,  etc. 

As  the  American  came  up  over  the  bank  of  the  river 
Lady  Tennys  could  not  repress  a  smile  of  pride.  The 
white  grass  trousers,  the  huge  white  hat,  and  the 
jaunty  military  carriage  had  become  so  familiar  to 
her  that  she  could  almost  feel  his  approach  before  he 
came  into  view.  It  was  always  the  same  confident, 
aggressive  stride,  the  walk  of  the  master. 

Although  the  sun  had  dropped  behind  the  twin 
giants  and  the  haze  of  the  night  was  on,  Hugh's 
faithful  attendant  carried  the  umbrella  over  his  head. 
The  new  Izor  said,  more  than  once,  that,  having 
taught  the  fellow  to  carry  the  protector,  he  could  not 
unteach  him.  Were  it  darkest  midnight  the  umbrella 
was  produced  and  carried  with  as  much  serenity  as 
when  the  sun  broiled  and  toasted  at  midday.  When 
the  returning  band  of  laborers  was  half  way  across 
Velvet  Valley,  Tennys,  as  was  her  wont,  left  her  ham 
mock  and  went  forth  to  meet  the  man  beneath  the 
white  sunshade.  His  pace  quickened  and  his  face 
brightened  as  she  drew  near.  The  hatless,  graceful 
figure  in  white  came  up  to  him  with  the  cry : 

"Why  are  you  so  late?  Dinner  has  been  waiting 
for  an  hour." 

"Pshaw!  And  the  cocoanuts  are  cold  again,"  he 
cried  with  mock  concern.  She  took  his  arm  and  they 
trudged  happily  through  the  deep  grass  on  which  the 


NEDRA  249 

never-failing  dew  was  already  settling.  "But  we 
have  finished  the  fortifications.  By  George,  if  those 
Ooloozers  get  through  that  valley  they'll  be  fit  to  try 
conclusions  with  England  and  America  combined. 
With  four  hundred  men  I  can  defend  the  pass  against 
four  thousand.  To-morrow  I'll  take  you  over  to  see 
the  defences.  They're  great,  Tennys." 

She  dampened  his  enthusiasm  somewhat. 

"Won't  it  be  an  awful  joke  if  the  enemy  doesn't 
corne  ?" 

"Joke !  It  will  be  a  calamity !  I'd  be  tempted  to 
organize  a  fleet  and  go  over  after  them.  By  the  way, 
I  have  something  fine  for  you." 

"A  letter  from  home?"  she  cried  laughingly.  "One 
would  think  so  from  the  important  way  in  which  you 
announce  it.  What  is  it?" 

"A  pet — a  wonder  of  a  pet,"  he  said.  "Hey !  Jing- 
a-ling,  or  whatever  your  name  is,  bring  that  thing 
up  here."  A  native  came  running  up  from  the  rear 
bearing  in  his  arms  a  small,  ugly  cub,  its  eyes  scarcely 
opened.  She  gave  vent  to  a  little  shriek  and  drew 
back. 

"Ugh!   The  horrid  thing!   What  is  it?" 

"A  baby  leopard.     He's  to  be  our  house  cat." 

"Never !  I  never  saw  an  uglier  creature  in  my  life. 
What  a  ponderous  head,  what  mammoth  feet,  and 
what  a  miserably  small  body !  Where  are  the  spots  ?" 

"He  gets  'em  later,  just  as  we  get  gray  hairs — sign 
of  old  age,  you  know.  And  he  outgrows  the  exagger 
ated  extremities.  In  a  few  months  he'll  be  the  pret- 


250  NEDRA 

tiest  thing  you  ever  saw.  You  must  teach  him  to 
stand  on  his  head,  jump  through  a  hoop,  tell  fortunes 
and  pick  out  the  prettiest  lady  in  the  audience,  and 
I'll  get  you  a  position  with  a  circus  when  we  go  to 
America.  You'd  be  known  on  the  bills  as  the  Royal 
Izor  of  the  Foofops  and  her  trained  leopard,  the  Only 
One  in  Captivity." 

"You  mean  the  only  leopard,  I  presume,"  she  smiled. 

"Certainly  not  the  only  lady,  for  there  are  millions 
of  them  in  that  state." 

They  had  their  dinner  by  torchlight  and  then  took 
their  customary  stroll  through  the  village. 

"There  seems  to  be  no  one  in  the  world  but  you  and 
I,"  she  said,  a  sudden  loneliness  coming  over  her. 

"What  a  paradise  this  would  be  for  the  lover  who 
vows  that  very  thing  to  the  girl  he  loves." 

"Do  lovers  mean  all  that  they  say  ?"  she  asked  laugh 
ingly. 

"Very  few  know  just  what  they  say  until  it  is  too 
late.  A  test  on  an  uncivilized  island  would  bring  rea 
son  to  the  doughtiest  lover.  There's  no  sentiment  in 
cold  facts." 

"I  don't  see  why  two  people,  if  they  loved  as  you  say 
they  can  love,  should  not  be  perfectly  happy  to  live 
apart  from  the  world.  Do  they  not  live  only  for  each 
other?" 

"That's  before  the  test,  you  see." 

"I  have  not  found  existence  on  this  island  altogether 
unendurable,"  she  went  on.  "I  am  not  in  love,  I'm 
sure,  yet  I  am  surprised  to  find  myself  contented  here 


NEDRA  251 

with  you.  Then  why  should  not  lovers  find  this  a  real 
paradise,  as  you  say?" 

"Would  you  be  contented  here  with  any  other  man 
as  your  companion?"  he  asked,  his  head  suddenly 
swimming. 

"Oh,  no!"  she  cried  decisively.  "I  don't  believe  I'd 
like  it  here  with  anybody  but  you.  Now,  don't  look 
like  that !  I'm  not  such  a  fool  as  you  may  be  thinking, 
Hugh.  I  know  the  world  pretty  well.  I  know  how 
other  people  love,  even  though  it  has  never  been  part 
of  my  lot.  I'm  not  quite  a  hypocrite.  I  was  not  pre 
sented  at  court  for  nothing.  You  see,  you  are  so  good 
and  we  are  such  friends.  It  never  occurred  to  me  be 
fore,  but  I'm  sure  I  couldn't  endure  being  here  with 
any  other  man  I  know.  Isn't  it  queer  I  never  thought 
of  that?"  she  asked,  in  real  wonder. 

He  looked  at  her  steadily  before  answering.  The 
flare  of  the  torch  revealed  a  childlike  sincerity  in  her 
face,  and  he  knew  she  did  not  realize  the  construction 
he  might  have  been  justified  in  according  her  impul 
sive  confession.  His  heart  throbbed  silently.  A  wave 
of  tenderness  welled  within  him,  bringing  with  it  a 
longing  to  kiss  the  hem  of  her  raiment,  to  touch  her 
soft,  black  hair,  to  whisper  gently  in  her  ear,  to  clasp 
her  hand,  to  do  something  fondly  grateful. 

"Are  you  quite  sure  of  that?"  he  asked  softly.  She 
looked  up  into  his  eyes  honestly,  frankly,  unwavering 
ly,  pressing  his  arm  with  a  smile  of  enthusiasm. 

"Quite  sure.  Why  not?  Who  could  be  better,  more 
thoughtful,  braver  than  you,  and  for  the  sake  of  a 


252  NEDRA 

woman  who,  by  mistake,  owes  her  life  to  you?  When 
you  have  done  so  much  for  me,  why  should  I  not  say 
that  you  are  the  man  I  like  best  of  all  I  know?  It  is 
strange,  perhaps,  that  it  should  make  any  particular 
difference,  but  it  seems  to  me  no  other  man  could  in 
spire  the  feeling  of  resignation  and  contentment  that 
you  do.  Really,  it  isn't  so  hard  to  live  in  the  wilder 
ness,  is  it?" 

"Have  you  never  known  any  one  else  with  whom  you 
could  have  been  contented  here?"  he  asked  persist 
ently. 

"Oh,  I  don't  know  what  other  men  would  be  like  if 
they  were  in  your  place,"  she  said.  She  appeared 
deeply  thoughtful  for  some  time,  as  if  trying  to  im 
agine  others  of  her  acquaintance  in  Hugh's  place. 
"I  am  sure  I  cannot  imagine  any  one  being  just  like 
you,"  she  went  on,  conclusively. 

"No  one  you  may  have  loved?" 

"I  have  never  loved  anybody,"  she  cried. 

"Do  you  know  what  love  means?" 

"I  haven't  the  faintest  conception,"  she  laughed, 
mockingly. 

"I  believe  you  said  that  to  me  some  time  ago,"  he 
said. 

"I  wish  I  could  love,"  she  said  lightly.  "But  I  sup 
pose  the  chance  is  forever  lost  if  I  am  doomed  to  stay 
on  this  island  all  my  life." 

His  smile  was  understood  by  the  night. 


CHAPTER  XXV 
THE  COMING  OF  THE  ENEMY 

A  FEVER  of  queer  emotions  plagued  Hugh's  mind 
as  he  sought  sleep  that  night.  He  lay  awake  on  his 
couch  of  skins  for  hours,  striving  to  put  from  himself 
the  delightful  conviction  that  had  presented  itself  so 
suddenly.  Through  all  his  efforts  to  convince  himself 
that  his  impressions  were  the  result  of  self-conceit  or 
a  too  willing  egotism,  there  persistently  ran  the  tan 
talizing  memory  of  her  simple  confession.  When  at 
last  he  slept  it  was  to  dream  that  a  gentle  hand  was 
caressing  his  forehead  and  loving  fingers  were  run 
ning  through  his  hair.  For  a  while  the  hand  was 
Grace  Vernon's,  then  it  was  Tennys  Hunting  ford's, 
then  Grace's,  then  the  other's.  Its  touch  brought  a 
curve  to  his  lips. 

While  he  lay  awake  in  these  wondering  hours  and 
slept  through  the  changing  dream,  the  cause  of  his 
mingled  emotions  lay  in  the  next  apartment,  peace 
fully  asleep  from  the  moment  her  head  touched  the 
pillow,  totally  unconscious  of  the  minutest  change  in 
her  heart  or  in  their  relationship,  as  contented  as  the 
night  about  her. 

The  next  morning  he  was  speculatively  quiet  and 
she  was  brightly  talkative  as  they  ate  breakfast.  He 


254  NEDRA 

was  awake  when  she  took  her  refreshing  plunge  in 
the  pool,  and  heard  her  conversing  learnedly  with  her 
attendants,  as  if  they  understood  all  that  she  said — 
which  they  did  not.  It  was  then  that  he  thought 
what  a  solitude  life  would  be  if  she  were  not  a  part 
of  it.  There  was  nothing  in  her  manner  to  indicate 
that  she  remembered  their  conversation  of  the  night 
before.  In  fact,  it  was  apparent  that  she  was  wholly 
unconscious  of  the  impression  it  had  made. 

Two  of  her  white-robed  attendants  stood  in  the  door 
way  while  they  ate,  another  industriously  fanning 
them.  The  flowing  white  robes  were  innovations  of 
the  past  few  days,  and  their  wearers  were  pictures  of 
expressive  resignation.  Robes  had  been  worn  only 
by  Mozzos  prior  to  the  revolution  of  customs  inaugu 
rated  by  the  white  Izor,  and  there  was  woeful  tripping 
of  brown  feminine  feet  over  treacherous  folds. 

"Those  ghastly  gowns  remind  me  that  this  is  the 
day  for  our  flag  raising,"  said  he.  "I  guess  the  ban 
ner  is  strong  enough  to  stand  the  winds  that  whistle 
around  the  tops  of  the  gateposts,  isn't  it?" 

Her  thoughts  reverted  to  the  white  signal  that 
floated  from  the  summit  of  the  big  mount  at  whose 
base  they  had  been  cast  up  from  the  sea.  Hugh,  hav 
ing  completed  the  meal,  went  to  the  end  of  the  room, 
where,  stretched  along  the  wall,  hung  a  huge  Ameri 
can  flag.  Days  had  been  consumed  by  the  women  in 
the  manufacture  of  this  piece  of  woven  grass.  He 
had  created  red  stripes  from  an  indelible  berry  stain. 
A  blue  background  for  the  stars  was  ingeniously 


THE    COMING    OF    THE    ENEMY      255 

formed  by  cutting  out  spaces  through  which  the  sky 
could  gleam.  A  strong  pole  lay  on  the  floor  and  all 
was  in  readiness  for  the  raising  of  the  Stars  and 
Stripes  over  the  Island  of  Nedra.  Their  hope  was 
that  it  might  eventually  meet  the  eye  of  some  passing 
navigator. 

"By  the  way,  Hugh,"  she  said,  standing  beside  him, 
a  trace  of  antagonism  in  her  voice,  "who  discovered 
this  island,  a  Briton  or  an  American?" 

"Why  I — an  American,  of  course!  Great  Scott! 
I — I  certainly  did,  didn't  I?"  he  exclaimed,  aghast, 
gradually  comprehending  that  she  had  a  moral  claim, 
at  least. 

"That  is  the  question,"  she  said  simply. 

He  walked  over  and  sat  down  rather  heavily  on  one 
of  the  stone  blocks. 

"I  saw  it  from  the  sea,"  he  stammered. 

"And  so  did  I." 

For  some  moments  he  sat  gazing  at  the  flag,  actual 
distress  in  his  eyes.  She  looked  away  and  smiled 
faintly. 

"I  didn't  think,  Tennys ;  truly  I  did  not.  You  have 
as  much  right  to  claim  the  discovery  as  I.  Why  have 
you  not  spoken  of  this  before?" 

"You  seemed  so  happy  over  the  flag  that  I  couldn't, 
Hugh,"  she  said,  still  looking  away. 

"Poor  old  flag!  It's  the  first  time  you  ever  tried  to 
wave  dishonestly  or  where  there  was  a  doubt  of  your 
supremacy."  He  came  to  her  side.  "We'll  have  no 
flag  raising." 


256  NEDRA 

"What!"  she  cried,  strangely  disappointed. 

"Not  until  we  have  made  a  British  flag  to  wave  be 
side  this  one." 

"I  was  jesting,  Hugh,  just  to  see  what  you  would 
say.  The  flag  shall  go  up.  You — you  are  the  mas 
ter,  as  you  should  be,  Hugh." 

"You  have  as  much  right  as  I,"  he  protested. 

"Then  I'll  be  an  American,"  she  cried.  "We'll  raise 
our  flag." 

"But  you  are  not  an  American." 

"Granting  that  I  was  the  first  to  see  the  island,  was 
I  not  under  protection  of  an  American?  I  have  been 
under  American  protection  ever  since.  What  has 
Great  Britain  to  do  with  the  situation  ?  I  demand  the 
protection  of  the  Stars  and  Stripes.  Will  you  deny 
me?"  Her  eyes  were  sparkling  eagerly.  "Could  the 
British  have  landed  had  it  not  been  for  the  Amer 
ican?" 

"You  really  don't  care?" 

"This  is  our  flag,  Hugh,"  she  said  seriously.  "It 
will  make  me  unhappy  if  you  continue  to  take  my  jest 
as  an  earnest.  We  made  it  and  I  shall  be  proud  to 
have  it  wave  over  me." 

A  few  hours  later  the  Stars  and  Stripes  floated  high 
over  a  new  island  of  the  sea,  far  from  the  land  of  its 
birth. 

"How  good  and  grand  it  looks,"  she  cried  as  they 
saw  it  straighten  to  the  breeze.  "After  all,  it  may  be 
waving  over  its  own,  Hugh.  The  United  States 
bought  several  thousands  of  islands  in  this  section  of 


THE    COMING    OF    THE    ENEMY      257 

the  world,  I've  heard,"  she  added,  with  a  touch  of 
irony. 

"It's  the  flag  I  love,"  he  cried.  "May  God  let  me 
kiss  once  more  the  soil  she  calls  home.  Dear 
America !" 

From  that  day  he  never  looked  at  the  dancing,  wrig 
gling  stripes  without  a  surge  of  emotion.  Its  every 
flaunt  seemed  to  beckon  brave  worshippers  from  far 
across  the  sea  to  the  forlorn  island  on  which  it  was 
patiently  waving. 

An  uneventful  week  passed.  A  Nedrite  who  had  es 
caped  from  the  Island  of  Oolooz  brought  word  to 
King  Pootoo  that  the  enemy  was  completing  prepara 
tion  for  a  stupendous  assault,  but  a  close  watch  on 
the  sea  failed  to  reveal  signs  of  the  approach.  Ridge- 
way  and  his  eager  followers  were  fully  prepared  for 
the  assault.  The  prospect  was  now  assuming  the  ap 
pearance  of  a  European  war  cloud — all  talk  and  no 
fight.  But  as  King  Pootoo  insisted  in  vague  earnest 
ness  that  the  informer  was  trustworthy,  precautionary 
measures  were  not  relaxed  at  any  time.  Hugh  was 
now  the  possessor  of  a  heavy  sword  made  of  the  metal 
lic- like  wood.  It  had  two  edges  and  resembled  an  old- 
fashioned  broadsword. 

"I  feel  like  a  Saumeri,"  he  announced. 

When  he  found  that  fairly  sharp  blades  could  be 
wrought  from  this  timber,  he  had  knives  and  hatchets 
made  for  private  use,  his  own  trusty  pocket  knife  be 
ing  glorified  by  promotion.  He  whetted  the  blade  to 
the  keenest  possible  edge  and  used  it  as  a  razor. 


258  NEDRA 

Tcnnys  compelled  him  to  seek  a  secluded  spot  for  his, 
weekly  shave,  decreeing  that  the  morals  of  the  natives 
should  not  be  ruined  in  their  infancy  by  an  oppor 
tunity  to  acquire  first-class,  fully  developed  American 
profanity. 

Many  of  their  evenings,  delightfully  cool  in 
contrast  with  the  intense  heat  of  the  day,  were 
spent  on  the  river.  The  largest  canoe  of  the  vil 
lage  was  fitted  out  with  a  broad,  comfortable  seat 
in  the  stern,  upon  which  it  was  possible  to  recline 
lazily  while  several  strong-armed  natives  paddled  the 
craft  through  the  shimmering,  moonlit  waters  above 
the  rapids. 

One  evening,  a  month  after  the  raising  of  the  flag, 
they  came  from  the  river,  the  night  having  been  the 
most  perfect  they  had  seen,  dark,  sombre,  picturesque. 
The  moon  was  hidden  behind  the  banks  of  clouds, 
which  foretold  the  coming  of  rain,  yet  there  was  a 
soft,  exquisite  glow  on  land  and  water,  as  if  blue- 
black  tints  were  being  cast  from  aloft  by  some  mys 
terious,  experimenting  artist  among  the  gods.  It  had 
been  a  quiet,  dreamy  hour  for  both.  As  they  walked 
slowly  across  the  little  plain,  followed  by  the  oarsmen, 
they  became  cognizant  of  an  extraordinary  commo 
tion  in  the  village.  Pootoo  and  a  dozen  men  came 
running  toward  them  excitedly. 

"What's  up,  I  wonder?"  cried  Hugh. 

"It  is  the  enemy.  I  know  they  have  been  sighted," 
she  exclaimed  breathlessly. 

And  she  was  right.     Just  before  sunset  the  guard 


THE    COMING    OF    THE    ENEMY     259 

at  the  top  of  the  gatepost  had  sighted  the  canoes  of 
the  invaders,  far  to  the  north.  According  to  the  king, 
to  whom  the  flying  messenger  had  come,  there  were 
myriads  of  canoes  and  they  were  headed  for  a  part 
of  the  beach  about  three  leagues  north  of  the  village. 
It  was  the  best  place  for  landing  along  the  entire 
coast  and  was,  besides,  the  point  nearest  the  home  of 
the  coming  foe.  It  was  evident  that  the  enemy  had 
miscalculated.  They  came  within  eye  range  of  the 
island  before  darkness  set  in.  A  half  an  hour  later 
and  it  would  have  been  impossible  to  discern  the  boats 
in  the  gloom.  By  merest  chance  their  arrival  was 
betrayed. 

"Thank  God,  they  can't  surprise  us,"  cried  Hugh 
after  he  had  learned  all.  He  was  mad  with  excite 
ment,  burning  with  eagerness  for  the  fray. 

The  possibility  of  defeat  did  not  enter  his  head,  so 
sure  was  he  that  he  and  his  warriors  could  overthrow 
the  invaders.  His  brain  was  filled  with  the  hope  that 
he  might  some  day  tell  the  story  of  this  battle  to  the 
fellows  at  his  club  in  Chicago.  He  could  imagine 
himself  sitting  with  his  heels  on  the  window  seat,  relat 
ing  to  envious  listeners  the  details  of  the  fight  in  the 
pass,  the  repulsing  of  the  enemy,  the  chase  to  the  shore, 
the  annihilation  and — but  no  time  was  to  be  lost  in 
dreaming  of  the  future  when  the  imperative  present 
demanded  so  much  of  him. 

At  his  side  hurried  the  distressed,  trembling  young 
Englishwoman,  her  heart  almost  paralyzed  with  fear. 
Two  or  three  times  she  tried  to  speak  to  him ;  once 


260  NEDRA 

she  timidly,  though  frantically,  sought  to  grasp  his 
hand  to  stay  him  in  his  excited  rush  toward  the  tem 
ple.  Up  to  this  moment  she  had  been  brave,  even  con 
fident  ;  now  a  weakness  assailed  her  and  every  vestige 
of  courage  was  gone.  But  one  thought  filled  her 
mind:  the  possibility  of  disaster  befalling  Hugh 
Ridgeway. 

They  reached  the  temple  and  he  dashed  inside,  go 
ing  direct  to  his  room,  where  the  sword  and  daggers 
hung.  She  sank  weakly  upon  one  of  the  big  blocks 
in  the  long  corridor,  leaning  her  head  against  the  par 
tition,  breathing  heavily,  hopelessly.  He,  unconscious 
of  the  pain  she  was  suffering,  began  to  whistle  joy 
ously  as  he  bustled  about. 

"Tennys,"  he  called,  "do  you  know  what  has  become 
of  my  shield?" 

"It  is  out  here,"  she  answered  shrilly,  her  voice 
pitched  high  with  the  tension  imposed.  He  came 
forth,  tossing  his  sword  on  the  ground  at  her 
feet,  hastily  taking  the  shield  from  a  peg  in  the 
wall. 

"Say,  we  won't  see  a  live  Ooloozer  for  a  hundred 
years  after  the  fight,"  he  exploded  exuberantly.  "Is 
my  army  out  there  in  front?" 

"Hugh,"  she  said  piteously,  following  him  about  in 
the  hall,  "it  isn't  necessary  for  you  to  accompany 
them." 

"Oh,  great  Scott !  I  wouldn't  miss  it  for  a  million. 
I'm  the  biggest  pig  in  the  puddle,"  stopping  to  look 
at  her  in  amazement. 


THE    COMING    OF    THE    ENEMY      261 

"But  it  isn't  your — our  war,  Hugh.  Why  do  you 
risk  so  much?  They  may  kill  you  and  then — then 
what  will  become  of  me?" 

In  an  instant  his  hilarity  subsided  and  deep  solici 
tude  came  in  its  stead,  every  particle  of  tenderness  in 
his  heart  asserting  itself  in  response  to  the  rueful  ap 
peal.  There  was  a  queer  rushing  of  blood  to  his  head, 
a  dizziness,  a  great  thrumming  against  the  drums  of 
his  ears,  from  all  of  which  sprung,  like  lightning,  the 
remembrance  of  his  suspicions  concerning  her  feelings 
toward  him. 

"You  are  not  worried,  are  you?  Why,  there's  no 
danger,  not  the  slightest.  We've  got  them  whipped 
before  the  fight.  I  didn't  think  you'd  lose  courage. 
You've  been  so  brave  and  confident  all  the  time."  He 
took  her  hands  in  his  own  and  looked  tenderly  down 
into  the  wavering  eyes  of  blue. 

"It  is  dreadful,  Hugh.  I  never  knew  how  dreadful 
until  now.  I  cannot  bear  to  see  you  go  out  there  to 
night,  perhaps  never  to  come  back.  I  shall  die  if 
you  go!" 

"But  I  must  go,  Tennys,"  he  said  firmly.  "I'd 
rather  die  than  be  a  coward.  Your  fears  are  utterly 
ridiculous." 

His  rather  petulant  speech  caused  her  to  withdraw 
her  hands,  her  wide  eyes  sending  a  glance  of  wounded 
pride  up  into  his.  That  look  of  reproach  haunted 
him  the  whole  night  long.  Even  in  the  next  mo 
ment  he  sought  to  withdraw  the  unintentional 
sting  from  his  words  by  the  gentle  reminder  that 


262  NEDRA 

he  would  come  back  to  her  a  victor  and  that  she 
would  be  proud  of  him.  Still  the  hurt  eyes  looked 
into  his. 

"I — I  did  not  mean  to  interfere,  Hugh.  You  must 
pay  no  attention  to  me.  I  was  selfish  and  absurdly 
afraid,"  she  said,  a  trace  of  coldness  in  her  voice,  her 
manner  entirely  altered. 

"Any  woman  might  well  be  afraid  at  such  a  time," 
he  said  quickly. 

"I  am  not  afraid  for  myself.  It  is  not  the  kind  of 
cowardice  you  think  it  is." 

"You  just  now  wondered  what  would  become  of  you 
if  I  were  killed,"  he  ventured. 

"I  know  what  will  become  of  me  if  the  worst  should 
come.  But  I  must  not  keep  you  standing  here.  There 
is  much  for  you  to  do  and  much  for  me  to  do.  You 
shall  never  again  say  that  I  am  not  brave.  Go  and 
fight,  Hugh,  and  when  you  bring  home  the  wounded 
I  shall  have  a  place  to  care  for  them  all."  All  this 
was  spoken  rapidly  and  in  high-pitched  tones.  He 
moved  slowly  toward  the  door,  not  knowing  what  to 
say  or  how  to  act  at  parting. 

"I'll  be  back  all  right,  Tennys,"  he  said  at  last. 
"Would  you  care  very  much  if — if  I  never  came 
back?" 

"Oh,  Hugh!"  was  her  wail.  "How  can  you  ask? 
What  would  it  mean  to  me  to  be  left  here  all  alone? 
If  you  would  have  me  brave,  do  not  ask  such  ques 
tions.  Go,  Hugh.  Good-by!" 

He    grasped    her    hand,    wrung    it    spasmodically, 


THE    COMING    OF    THE    ENEMY      263 

glanced  once  in  her  eyes  and  was  off  toward  the  horde 
of  warriors  congregating  in  the  field. 

Lady  Tennys  steadied  her  swaying  figure  against 
the  doorpost  and  looked  out  upon  the  preparations  for 
departure.  The  light  in  her  eyes  had  died. 


CHAPTER  XXVI 
ON  THE  EVE  OF  BATTLE 

RIDGEWAY  looked  at  his  watch  as  he  drew  up  to  the 
torch  bearers.  It  was  then  ten  minutes  after  ten 
o'clock.  In  all  probability  the  entire  force  of  the 
enemy  had  landed  upon  the  coast  and  was  already 
on  its  way  toward  the  village.  He  realized  that  these 
savages,  friend  and  foe,  knew  nothing  of  the  finer 
stratagems  of  warfare.  Their  style  of  fighting  was 
of  the  cruel  kind  that  knows  no  science,  no  quarter. 
A  new  commander  had  come  to  revolutionize 
the  method  of  warfare  for  at  least  one  of  the 
armies.  It  was  to  be  a  case  of  strategy  and  a  new 
intelligence  against  superior  forces  and  a  surprised 
ferocity. 

He  was  somewhat  amazed  to  find  that  none  of  his 
troopers  had  attempted  to  leave  the  village  before  he 
was  there  to  lead.  This,  when  he  thought  of  the 
eagerness  and  bloodthirstiness  of  the  men,  was  cer 
tainly  a  fair  promise  of  submissiveness  on  the  field  of 
battle.  To  be  sure,  the  restraint  was  almost  unen 
durable  to  the  fierce  fellows  who  had  caught  up  their 
shields  and  spears  long  before  he  came  in  from  the 
river.  The  excitement  was  intense,  the  jabbering 
frightful.  Here,  there,  everywhere  danced  the  frantic 


ON    THE    EVE    OF    BATTLE        265 

warriors,  tossing  their  weapons  in  the  air  and  scream 
ing  with  a  loyalty  that  savored  very  much  of  impo 
tent  rage. 

"God,  I'd  give  little  for  a  man's  life  if  he  crossed 
these  devils  to-night,"  thought  Hugh  as  King  Pootoo 
detached  himself  from  the  horde  and  raced  unmajes- 
tically  over  to  meet  him,  almost  forgetting  to  prostrate 
himself  in  his  frenzy.  Grossly  exaggerated  by  the 
flare  of  the  torches,  the  spectacle  was  enough  to 
strike  terror  to  the  strongest  heart.  The  king  sub 
dued  himself  sufficiently  to  grasp  the  meaning  of 
Hugh's  signs  and  set  about  to  bring  order  out  of 
chaos — a  difficult  task  for  even  a  king.  Gradually 
the  excitement  subsided  and  the  band  stood  at  rest, 
awaiting  the  command  to  move  to  the  hills  across 
the  river.  They  reminded  Hugh  of  dogs  he  had  seen. 
We  all  have  held  a  chunk  of  meat  high  above  a 
dog's  nose  and  we  have  seen  him  sit  in  enforced  pa 
tience,  hoping  for  the  fall  thereof.  And  we  all  know 
that  after  a  certain  time  he  will  throw  patience  to 
the  winds  and  leap  frantically  upward  in  the  effort  to 
secure  the  prize. 

A  force  of  fully  one  hundred  young  fellows  was  to 
be  left  in  the  village  as  a  guard  against  disaster 
in  case  the  enemy  should  force  its  way  through  the 
pass.  Lady  Tennys  was  to  have  a  bodyguard,  even 
though  it  crippled  the  fighting  force  at  the  front. 
The  men  comprising  this  reserve  did  not  relish  the 
plan,  but  their  objections  were  relentlessly  overruled 
by  the  white  Izor  and  King  Pootoo.  With  sulky 


266  NEDRA 

heads  they  seated  themselves  as  directed  near  the  tem 
ple  they  were  to  protect  with  their  lives. 

It  required  but  a  few  minutes  of  time  for  Ridgeway 
to  find  that  his  little  army  was  ready  to  move.  After 
some  hesitation  he  went  to  the  temple  door  to  bid 
farewell  to  his  fellow-castaway.  She  was  still  lean 
ing  against  the  doorpost  and  did  not  move  as  he  ap 
proached. 

"We're  off  now,"  he  said  as  he  came  up.  "Don't 
worry,  little  woman ;  we'll  come  home  victorious  as 
sure  as  fate.  See  these  fellows?  They  are  your 
guard,  your  own  soldiers.  You  can  command  them 
to  do  as  you  wish." 

"Mine?"  she  asked  slowly,  as  if  not  comprehending. 

"Yes ;  they  are  the  Lady  Tennys  Reserves,"  he  said, 
smiling.  A  glad  light  suddenly  broke  in  her  eyes,  her 
face  brightened  and  her  whole  mien  changed  from 
despair  to  delight. 

"Thank  you,  Hugh.  I  shall  never  forget  you  for 
this.  You  will  never  know  how  happy  I  am  to  have 
these  men  to  do  my  bidding.  If  it  is  necessary  I  will 
show  you  that  a  woman  of  England  can  fight  as  val 
iantly  as  her  brothers,  the  bravest  men  in  all  the 
world."  In  her  eyes  there  were  tears  as  she  uttered 
these  words, — tears  of  courage  and  pride. 

"Would  that  I  could  have  you  by  my  side  all  through 
this  fight.  There  is  an  inspiration  in  your  very  gen 
tleness  that  could  make  me  do  prodigious  deeds  of 
valor.  But,  good-by,  Tennys !  I'll  be  back  for  lunch 
to-morrow!"  he  cried  as  he  dashed  away.  He  could 


ON    THE    EVE    OF    BATTLE        267 

look  into  those  swimming  eyes  no  longer  and  restrain 
a  certain  impulse  that  was  trying  to  force  him  into 
the  liberation  of  an  entirely  unnecessary  bit  of  senti 
ment. 

"Good-by,  Hugh !  Don't  be  careless.  What  will  the 
Reserves  be  worth  to  me  if  you  are  killed?  I  shall 
pray  for  you,  Hugh — every  minute  of  this  awful 
night  I  shall  pray  for  you." 

"God  bless  you,"  he  called  back  from  Velvet  Val 
ley,  his  brain  whirling  with  the  wish  that  he  had  kissed 
her  and  the  fear  of  the  result  had  he  made  the  at 
tempt. 

A  few  minutes  later  he  sent  his  jacket  back  to  the 
temple.  It  was  his  most  valued  possession.  Had  he 
seen  the  look  of  tenderness  in  her  eyes  as  she  held 
up  the  worn,  blue  jacket;  had  he  seen  her  kiss  the 
blue  cloth  impulsively,  he  would  have  been  thrilled  to 
the  bone.  But  had  he  been  there  to  observe  the 
startled,  mystified  blush  that  rose  to  her  brow  when 
she  found  that  she  had  really  kissed  his  coat,  he  might 
have  been  as  perplexed  as  she  over  the  unusual  act. 

With  heart  beating  violently  and  nerves  strung  to 
their  highest  tension,  Ridgeway  led  the  way  to  the 
river.  He  was  as  confident  of  victory  as  if  he  were 
returning  from  the  pass  with  the  result  out  of  doubt. 
Reaching  the  river,  his  men  plunged  into  the  water 
and  swam  across,  not  waiting  for  the  canoes.  He  and 
the  king  were  rowed  over,  meeting  the  swimmers  as 
they  came  up  from  the  bank,  dripping  and  puffing. 
Again  the  march  was  resumed,  and  within  fifteen  min- 


268  NEDRA 

utes  the  band  was  at  the  foot  of  the  hills.  Here 
Hugh  called  a  halt. 

With  Pootoo  and  a  dozen  men  he  went  forward  to 
take  a  look  down  the  long  gorge.  All  torches  were 
extinguished  and  absolute  silence  was  enforced.  The 
scouting  party  failed  to  hear  a  sound  except  the 
cries  of  night  birds  and  their  o\vn  heavy  breathing. 
All  nature  seemed  to  be  resting  for  the  struggle  that 
was  to  come. 

Six  fleet  fellows  were  sent  over  the  hills  to  skirt  the 
edge  of  the  pass  for  its  full  length,  a  mile  or  more. 
They  were  to  wait  at  the  opposite  end  until  the  enemy 
revealed  its  approach  and  then  hurry  back  with  the 
alarm.  Returning  to  the  waiting  army,  Hugh  and  the 
king  began  the  work  of  assigning  the  men  to  their 
places.  Two  hundred  were  stationed  in  the  trenches 
and  behind  the  breastworks  at  the  mouth  of  the  pass, 
ready  to  intercept  those  of  the  enemy  who  succeeded  in 
escaping  the  boulders  and  spears  from  the  hilltops. 
These  men  stacked  their  spears  behind  them  and  then, 
at  the  command  of  the  king,  who  had  been  instructed 
by  the  Izor,  laid  themselves  upon  the  ground  to  sleep. 
This  was  an  innovation  in  warfare  so  great  that  open 
rebellion  was  threatened.  The  novices  in  civilized  and 
scientific  fighting  were  fully  convinced  that  the  enemy 
was  nowhere  in  sight  and  that  they  would  be  called 
when  the  proper  moment  came. 

Then  came  the  manning  of  the  four  hundred  boul 
ders  on  the  top  of  the  hills.  All  along  the  line  of 
heavy  rocks  men  were  stationed  with  instructions  to 


ON    THE    EVE    OF    BATTLE        269 

roll  them  into  the  pass  when  the  signal  was  given. 
Both  sides  of  the  pass  were  lined  with  these  boulders. 
The  king  was  as  near  in  ecstasies  over  the  arrange 
ments  as  one  of  his  nature  could  possibly  be.  He 
prostrated  himself  a  dozen  times  before  the  wonder 
fully  clever  genius  who  was  in  command,  twice  bump 
ing  his  head  against  exceedingly  hard  rocks  that  he 
had  been  unable  to  see  when  he  began  his  precipitous 
collapse  to  reverence. 

It  was  after  midnight  before  the  army  in  ambush 
was  ready  for  the  conflict.  Hugh  was  amazed  to  find 
the  men  cool  and  submissive,  obeying  every  order  that 
he  managed  in  some  way  to  convey  to  them.  With 
everything  in  readiness  there  was  nothing  to  do  but 
to  wait  for  the  crisis,  so  he  threw  himself  on  the  grass 
at  the  top  of  the  highest  point  on  the  ridge  near  the 
opening  to  the  valley,  and  tried  to  sleep. 

While  he  reclined  there,  thinking  of  a  sweet-faced 
woman  and  her  Reserves,  fully  eighteen  hundred  war 
riors  were  stealthily  coming  up  from  the  sea.  Six 
wakeful  sentinels  were  waiting  for  them. 


CHAPTER  XXVII 
THE  LADY  TENNYS  RESERVES 

THE  night  passed.  One,  two,  three  o'clock  went  by 
on  the  trip  to  sunrise.  Hugh  dozed  at  times  despite 
the  strain  on  his  nerves.  When  at  last  he  arose  to 
stretch  himself,  he  saw  the  faint  gray  meeting  and 
mingling  with  the  black  in  the  skies,  and  knew  that 
the  crisis  was  almost  at  hand. 

Swiftly,  silently  through  the  darkness  came  six 
forms,  hurrying  from  the  distant  end  of  the  pass  with 
the  alarm.  They  sped  into  the  presence  of  the  king 
and  Hugh  just  as  the  first  gleam  of  light  began  to 
make  itself  visible  in  the  east.  The  messengers  had 
seen  the  enemy,  by  that  time  entering  the  pass  from 
the  north.  In  an  instant  Hugh's  little  army  was  in  a 
state  of  wild  perturbation.  One  could  have  heard  the 
gnashing  of  teeth  had  he  walked  among  the  groups 
receiving  final  orders  from  King  Pootoo.  Silence 
reigned  again — the  silence  of  death. 

Something  that  sounded  like  the  heavy  breathing 
of  a  man  came  to  the  ears  of  the  waiters.  It  was 
the  sweep  of  naked  feet  over  the  pebbly,  sandy  bot 
tom  of  the  pass,  the  cautious  movement  of  bodies 
through  the  air,  sounds  growing  plainer  until  they 
resembled  the  rustling  of  grass  through  which  a  snake 


THE    LADY    TENNYS    RESERVES    271 

is  gliding.  To  Hugh  the  intense  moments  seemed  like 
hours.  Would  they  never  come  to  view?  Would  the 
ambush  succeed?  Why  were  they  so  slow?  He  could 
have  gone  ten  miles  while  they  were  covering  the  scant 
mile,  he  swore  in  his  fever  of  anxiety. 

At  last  the  king  pointed  excitedly  down  the  dark 
gulch,  and,  for  the  first  time,  Ridgeway  realized  that 
he  was  facing  an  enemy  in  battle.  His  eyes  did  not 
blink,  so  intently  were  they  glued  upon  the  dim,  uncer 
tain  objects  that  moved  in  the  distance.  The  sword  at 
his  side  was  gripped  in  a  fierce  but  unconscious  grasp. 
He  placed  his  hand  over  his  throbbing  heart ;  a  damp 
chill  seemed  to  break  through  every  pore  in  his  body. 

"In  five  minutes  this  place  will  be  hell!"  he  mut 
tered,  and  the  king  looked  at  him  inquiringly. 

Slowly  the  moving  mass  resolved  itself  into  a  thou 
sand  entities,  swarming  towards  the  opening  at  the  end 
of  the  pass.  It  required  all  of  his  coolness  and  self- 
possession  to  control  the  wild  impulse  to  begin  the 
fight  long  before  the  proper  moment.  To  his  sur 
prise,  not  one  of  his  men  moved  from  his  position. 

In  advance  of  the  main  body  of  invaders  was  a  small 
detachment  of  scouts.  Hugh  saw  that  they  would 
reach  the  trenches  ahead  of  the  army  and  that  the 
trap  would  be  revealed.  His  heart  almost  failed  him 
as  he  looked  down  upon  that  now  distinguishable  mass 
crowding  up  through  the  gorge.  There  seemed  to  be 
thousands  of  them,  strapping,  fierce,  well-armed  sav 
ages.  Their  spears  looked  not  unlike  a  field  of  dancing 
cornstalks. 


NEDRA 

It  was  necessary  to  check  the  little  advance  guard 
before  the  plans  could  go  amiss.  Ridgeway,  suddenly 
calm  and  deliberate,  despatched  the  king  with  instruc 
tions  to  have  his  men  spear  the  scouts  as  they  came 
up,  driving  them  back.  Pootoo  wriggled  stealthily 
to  the  breastworks  below,  reaching  the  position  a  few 
moments  ahead  of  the  Oolooz  squad.  Perhaps  one 
hundred  yards  behind  this  detail  came  the  swarm  of 
battle  men.  There  was  something  in  the  advance  that 
suggested  a  cat  stealing  upon  an  unsuspecting  bird. 

By  this  time  it  was  quite  light,  although  sunrise  was 
half  an  hour  away.  In  the  gray,  phantom-producing 
gloom  Hugh  could  see  his  own  men  behind  the  boul 
ders,  awaiting  his  command.  A  sudden  shriek  broke 
on  the  stillness,  causing  him  to  leap  as  if  some  one  had 
struck  him  violently.  Then  there  was  a  succession  of 
yells  and  the  rushing  of  feet.  He  glanced  nervously 
toward  the  trenches.  A  dozen  Oolooz  men  were  flying 
back  toward  the  main  body,  while  not  a  sign  of  Pootoo 
or  his  men  was  visible.  They  had  delivered  a  few 
spears  and  had  dropped  back  into  the  trench. 

The  main  body  in  the  pass  swayed  and  jammed  in  the 
effort  to  halt,  but  the  rear  pushed  forward  so  clamor 
ously  that  the  whole  mass  rolled  up  the  ravine  fairly 
into  the  death  trap  before  it  began  to  understand  the 
meaning  of  the  yells  and  the  sudden  retreat  of  the 
scouts. 

"Now  is  the  time,"  thought  the  American.  His  tall 
form  sprang  from  behind  the  tree  at  the  edge  of  the 
little  cliff.  His  white  face  was  whiter  than  ever,  his 


THE  LADY  TENNYS  RESERVES  273 

eyes  flashed,  his  long  frame  quivered.  Up  went  his 
sword  arm  and  loud  came  the  cry  from  his  lips : 

"Fire!" 

As  if  by  magic  two  long  rows  of  immutable  boulders 
wabbled  for  a  second  and  then  thundered  down  the  hill 
side,  while  ten  score  of  wild,  naked  human  beings  sent 
up  yells  of  horrid  glee  to  the  unveiling  dome  above. 

No  pen  can  describe  the  flight  of  those  death-dealing 
rocks  as  they  bounded  over  the  sharp  declivities,  gain 
ing  speed  with  each  revolution,  scattering  earth, 
gravel  and  underbrush  with  the  force  of  a  cyclone, 
leaping  at  last  with  a  crushing  roar  into  the  very 
midst  of  the  stupefied  army.  There  was  a  sickening, 
grinding  crash,  an  instant  of  silence,  then  the  piteous 
wails  and  groans  and  the  spectacle  of  a  writhing,  roll 
ing,  leaping,  struggling  mixture  of  human  forms. 
Almost  as  the  first  volley  of  rocks  left  its  position  to 
roll  upon  the  vanguard  of  the  ambushed  horde,  the 
howling  devils  on  the  hill  tops  were  scurrying  toward 
the  second  row,  farther  to  the  right.  Down  poured 
this  second  storm  of  rocks,  increasing  the  panic  below, 
literally  slaughtering  the  helpless  wretches  by  the 
score. 

Ridgeway  looked  upon  this  scene  of  destruction  as 
if  fascinated.  He  was  powerless  to  move.  He  had 
not  dreamed  that  his  trap  could  produce  such  a  havoc. 
The  bottom  of  the  pass  was  strewn  with  grovelling, 
shrieking  bodies,  trampled  beneath  the  feet  of  their 
uninjured  but  insane  companions.  Dead  and  wounded, 
crushed  and  maimed,  made  up  the  surging  humanity 


274  NEDRA 

in  the  fatal  pass.  The  rocks  had  mowed  them  down. 
Devastation  had  come  like  lightning  from  the  skies. 
It  was  horrible ! 

Closing  his  eyes,  he  turned  away,  utterly  sick.  A 
moment  later  he  glanced  about,  hearing  the  victorious, 
eager  savages  on  the  heights  screeching  like  madmen. 
From  all  sioTes  they  were  swarming  toward  him,  con 
centrating  for  the  swoop  down  the  hillside  at  his  com 
mand.  He  was  awakened  to  action,  his  mind  grasped 
the  importance  of  immediate  decision  and  he  was  en 
tirely  recovered  from  his  momentary  palsy.  One  par 
ticular  feature  of  the  horrid  scene  lingered  in  his  mem 
ory  till  his  dying  day.  The  surprised  Oolooz  men,  not 
knowing  whence  came  the  foe  or  the  nature  of  the 
charge  down  the  hills,  had  quicMy  turned  their  spears 
to  receive  the  onslaught,  expecting  men  instead  of 
rocks.  He  never  forgot  the  brief  stand  they  made. 

At  first  he  believed  that  all  had  been  killed — that  the 
battle  was  over  before  it  began.  But  even  as  he  turned 
for  another  pitying  glance  below,  the  recovered  foe- 
men  started  up  the  hillside,  shouting  and  screaming 
with  rage.  The  ground  was  covered  with  prostrate 
or  crawling  forms,  yet,  to  his  amazement,  there  still 
seemed  to  be  thousands  of  vigorous,  uninjured  war 
riors. 

"Good  Lord!  There  are  a  million!"  he  shouted. 
Leaping  forward,  he  swung  his  sword  on  high  and 
with  every  nerve  aquiver  he  cried: 

"Fire !" 

It  was  the  only  command  he  had  taught  them.     It 


THE    LADY    TENNYS    RESERVES   275 

meant  fight,  pure  and  simple.  Across  the  gulch  the 
command  could  not  be  heard,  but  the  men  over  there 
were  only  too  glad  to  follow  the  example  set  by  their 
comrades,  and  from  both  sides  a  perfect  storm  of 
spears  hissed  through  the  air. 

Up  from  the  rear  rushed  scores  of  Oolooz  warriors. 
Despite  the  vicious  attack  they  crowded  steadily  up 
the  hillside  toward  the  crest  on  which  stood  Hugh  and 
his  practically  unbroken  front.  Through  some  sort 
of  natural  generalship  they  confined  their  charge  to 
the  hills  on  one  side  of  the  pass.  Ridgeway  saw  this 
with  alarm.  He  knew  that  they  would  eventually  force 
their  way  to  the  top.  Yet  the  spears  from  above  mowed 
down  the  climbing  savages  like  tenpins,  while  their 
weapons  did  little  or  no  damage.  With  each  distinct 
volley  from  above  the  advancing  foe  fell  back,  but 
rallied  like  heroes.  By  this  time  hundreds  of  them 
were  down ;  broad  daylight  made  the  pass  look  like  a 
slaughter  pen. 

Ridgeway  ran  among  his  men,  urging  them  to  stand 
firm,  to  beat  back  the  foe,  and  they  responded  with 
an  ardor  that  was  nothing  less  than  fiendishness  itself. 
Their  spears  were  unerringly  thrown,  but  the  supply 
was  diminishing;  it  was  the  question  of  a  very  few 
minutes  before  they  would  be  without  ammunition. 
Hugh's  hope  lay  in  the  possibility  that  the  foe  would 
soon  retreat,  believing  itself  unable  to  cope  with  an 
adversary  whose  numbers  were  unknown  and  who  held 
such  an  advantageous  position. 

He  soon  saw  that  he  would  have  to  quickly  withdraw 


276  NEDRA 

his  men  from  the  hill  after  one  of  the  temporary  re 
pulses,  taking  them  to  the  trench  at  the  mouth  of  the 
pass.  Almost  as  he  was  forming  this  plan,  he  realized 
that  it  would  be  necessary  to  carry  it  out  at  once. 

Far  down  the  pass,  beyond  his  line,  the  enemy  came 
swarming  up  the  undefended  slope,  steep  as  it  was, 
and  some  of  the  foremost  were  already  scrambling  over 
the  last  few  feet  intervening.  He  yelled  to  the 
men,  pointing  to  the  danger  spot  and  then  toward 
the  trenches,  making  a  sign  immediately  there 
after  to  deliver  a  telling  volley  into  the  struggling 
ranks. 

The  savages  seemed  to  understand,  and  he  devoutly 
thanked  God,  for  they  sent  a  shower  of  spears  into 
the  horde  and  then  dashed  helter-skelter  in  the  direc 
tion  of  the  trenches  where  lay  the  king  and  two  hun 
dred  men.  Wild  yells  of  triumph  came  from  behind, 
and  long  before  the  descent  to  the  valley  was  reached 
by  the  fleeing  white  man  and  his  dusky  army,  the 
Ooloozers  were  pouring  into  the  tree-covered  summit 
like  so  many  sheep. 

Down  the  hill  sped  Hugh  and  his  men.  Pootoo  saw 
them  coming  and  waved  his  spear  frantically.  As  the 
retreating  army  rolled  headlong  into  the  trenches  and 
behind  the  breastworks,  the  enemy  arrived  at  the  crest 
of  the  hill.  Breathlessly  Hugh  motioned  for  Pootoo 
to  call  the  men  from  the  opposite  hill  into  action  at 
once. 

A  volley  of  spears  shot  into  and  over  the  trenches, 
followed  by  a  whirlwind  of  the  long,  slender  mes- 


THE    LADY    TENNYS    RESERVES   277 

sengers  of  death,  several  of  them  taking  effect.  Poo- 
too's  men  returned  the  volley  from  behind  the  breast 
works,  but  the  rampant  chargers  were  not  to  be 
checked.  Up  to  the  very  edge  of  the  trench  they 
rushed,  and  from  that  moment  it  does  not  lie  within 
the  power  of  the  writer  to  depict  the  horrors  of  the 
conflict  in  detail.  Hugh's  men,  well  protected  and  well 
armed,  hurled  death  into  the  ranks  of  the  fearless 
enemy  as  it  crowded  to  the  high  breastworks.  And 
out  from  the  mouth  of  the  pass  poured  the  mass  of 
Ooloozers  who  had  not  ascended  the  hill. 

Ridgeway,  cutting  viciously  away  at  the  black  bod 
ies  as  they  plunged  against  the  wall  behind  which  they 
stood,  felt  the  spears  crash  against  his  shield,  heard 
them  hiss  past,  saw  them  penetrate  the  earthworks  all 
about  him.  At  another  time  he  would  have  wondered 
how  he  and  his  men  could  hope  to  withstand  such  an 
onslaught.  One  thing  he  did  have  time  to  observe,  and 
that  was  the  surprise,  consternation,  even  fear  that 
came  into  the  enraged  faces  of  the  assaulting  savages 
when  they  saw  him  plainly.  They  were  looking  for 
the  first  time  on  the  face  of  a  white  man — the  new 
god  of  their  enemies. 

A  sudden  change  in  the  tide  of  battle,  though  brief, 
transferred  the  brunt  of  conflict  to  another  quarter. 
A  withering  rain  of  spears  struck  the  enemy  on  the 
flank  and  rear,  and  down  from  the  opposite  hilltop 
rushed  the  mob  that  had  formed  the  other  boulder 
squad  at  the  beginning  of  the  fight,  but  who  had  done 
nothing  after  the  first  charge  of  the  Oolooz  men  up 


278  NEDRA 

the  hill.  They  threw  themselves  upon  the  enemy  and 
were  soon  lost  in  the  boiling  mass.  Gaining  fresh 
courage  and  a  renewed  viciousness,  the  men  in  the 
trenches  forsook  the  shelter  and  poured  into  the  open, 
Hugh  being  powerless  to  check  them. 

"It  is  all  over,"  groaned  he,  when  he  saw  his  crazy 
forces  jump  into  the  very  centre  of  the  seething 
mass.  With  a  white  man's  shrewdness  he  remained  be 
hind  the  friendly  breastworks,  a  dozen  of  his  warriors 
fighting  by  his  side.  Repeated  rushes  against  his 
position  were  broken  by  the  desperate  resistance  of 
this  small  company.  Hugh's  heavy  sword  was  drip 
ping  with  blood ;  it  had  beaten  in  the  skull  of  many  a 
foe,  had  been  driven  beneath  the  shields  and  through 
the  bodies  of  others.  To  him  it  seemed  hours  instead 
of  minutes  since  the  battle  began ;  his  arm  was  grow 
ing  tired,  his  brain  was  whirling,  his  body  was  drip 
ping  with  perspiration.  Still  his  blood  boiled  and 
surged  with  savage  enjoyment;  he  was  now  yelling 
with  the  same  frenzy  that  filled  the  wild  men ;  pure 
delight  grew  out  of  the  fall  of  every  opponent  that 
went  down  under  his  sword. 

At  last  the  Oolooz  leader,  a  blood-covered  savage  as 
large  as  Pootoo,  led  his  men  up  to  the  breastworks, 
driving  the  defenders  into  the  trenches  and  down  the 
gentle  slope.  Triumph  was  theirs  apparently,  and 
their  yelling  was  full  of  it.  But  inch  by  inch  Pootoo 
fought  them  back.  Once  the  king  looked  helplessly  at 
Hugh,  as  if  praying  for  him  as  a  god  to  exert  his  in 
fluence  in  the  unequal  struggle.  That  glance  was  one 


THE    LADY    TENNYS    RESERVES    279 

of  entreaty,  surprise,  but  Hugh  could  also  see  disgust 
in  it.  It  stung  him  strangely. 

Although  he  had  fought  and  killed  more  men  than 
any  one  on  either  side,  perhaps,  he  had  not  gone  forth 
from  behind  the  breastworks ;  he  was  not  out  in  the 
thick  of  it.  With  a  yell  of  encouragement  to  the  men, 
he  flung  himself  over  the  little  wall,  alighting  on  the 
soft  body  of  a  corpse.  With  his  supporters  at  his  heels 
he  dashed  to  the  king's  side.  Inside  of  two  minutes  he 
was  struck  in  the  leg  by  a  spear,  his  hand  was  cut  by  a 
glancing  blow  from  a  club  and  his  shield  arm  was  bat 
tered  so  fearfully  that  it  required  an  effort  to  hold  it 
in  front  of  his  body.  Blood  streamed  into  his  eyes  and 
down  his  breast,  his  arms  grew  weak,  his  blows  were 
feeble,  his  knees  trembled,  and  he  was  ready  to  drop. 
Twice  he  went  to  his  knees  only  to  stagger  to  his  feet 
again.  Three  times  Pootoo's  mighty  club  beat  down 
warriors  who  were  about  to  brain  him. 

His  mind  was  chaotic,  filled  with  the  now  certain 
defeat  and  the  heart-breaking  thought  that  Lady 
Tennys  would  be  left  to  the  mercies  of  the  victors. 
Tears  were  mingling  with  the  blood ;  his  very  soul  was 
crying  for  strength,  for  hope,  for  salvation.  In  his 
din-stricken  ears  ran  that  wail :  "What  will  become  of 
me  if  you  are  killed?"  Her  face  seemed  to  float  in 
front  of  his  eyes,  her  voice  came  trembling  and  lulling 
and  soft  through  the  hellish  sounds,  piercing  the  sav 
agery  with  gentle  trustfulness,  urging  him  to  be  brave, 
strong  and  true.  Then  Grace  Vernon's  dear  face,  dim 
and  indistinct,  lured  him  forward  into  the  strife,  her 


280  NEDRA 

clear  voice,  mingling  with  the  plaintive  tones  of  the 
other,  commanding  him  to  come  to  her.  He  must  win ! 
He  must  win! 

But  the  great  horde  of  Oolooz  warriors  were  at  last 
breaking  down  the  smaller  force  and  all  seemed  lost. 

Suddenly  new  life  sprang  up  among  the  battered 
defenders.  Joyous  yells  bespoke  a  favorable  turn  of 
the  tide.  The  enemy  fell  slowly  back,  relinquishing 
the  vantage  gained.  Far  behind  Ridgeway's  fainting 
form  there  arose  the  shouts  of  fresh  factors  in  the 
fight. 

He  fell  against  the  embankment  and  slowly  turned 
his  eyes  toward  the  river.  Once  more  Pootoo's  gigan 
tic  weapon  saved  his  defenceless  head  from  the  blow  of 
an  eager  antagonist,  but  the  white  man  knew  naught 
of  his  escape.  His  dazed  eyes  saw  only  the  band  of 
warriors  flying  over  the  plain  toward  the  field  of  bat 
tle.  Far  in  their  rear  came  a  fluttering  white  form. 

Hardly  was  he  able  to  realize  that  help  was  at  hand 
before  the  released,  ferocious  young  fellows  who  had 
been  left  behind  to  guard  her  Ladyship  were  plung 
ing  over  the  breastworks  all  about  him. 

The  Reserves  to  the  rescue ! 

Exaltation,  glorious  and  strength-giving,  flushed 
through  him  and  he  leaped  again  into  the  fray.  The 
new  hope  had  come.  He  was  once  more  battling  with 
a  mighty  vigor.  Fury  reigned  for  a  moment  and  then 
came  the  stampede.  Down  the  little  valley  fled  the  foe, 
the  conquerors  in  mad  pursuit. 

He  was  unable  to  follow,  but  his  heart  glowed  with 


'THEY    HAVE    KILLKI)    YOl'l     LKT    THKM    KILL 
MTC!'" 


THE  LADY  TENNYS  RESERVES  281 

joy  as  he  staggered  blindly  toward  the  earthworks. 
As  he  fell,  half  fainting,  against  the  bloody  bank,  the 
agonized  figure  in  white  flew  up  to  the  opposite  side. 

"Hugh,  Hugh,"  she  wailed,  burying  her  face  in  her 
hands.  "They  have  killed  you!  Let  them  kill  me!" 

"Oh,  it's — nothing — "  he  gasped,  trying  to  smile. 
"I'm  all  right,  little  woman,  but — you — got — here — 
just — in — time!  Didn't  I  say — get — home — for — 
lunch — or  something — like — that?" 

And  he  knew  no  more. 


CHAPTER  XXVIII 
TO  THE  VICTOR  BELONGS—? 

IT  was  a  month  before  Ridgeway  was  able  to  leave 
his  couch  and  to  sit  beneath  the  awning  in  front  of 
the  temple.  Not  that  he  had  been  so  severely  wounded 
in  the  battle  of  June  thirtieth,  but  that  his  whole  sys 
tem  had  collapsed  temporarily. 

After  the  first  terrible  fear,  Tennys  gave  herself  en 
tirely  to  the  task  of  caring  for  him.  Night  and  day 
she  watched,  worked,  and  prayed  over  the  tossing  suf 
ferer.  In  seasons  of  despair,  created  by  the  frequent 
close  encroachments  of  death,  she  experienced  dreams 
that  invariably  ended  with  the  belief  that  she  heard 
his  dying  gasps.  Until  she  became  thoroughly  awake 
and  could  hear  the  movements  of  the  two  savages  who 
sat  faithfully  in  the  next  room  with  their  Izor,  her 
heart  was  still  with  a  terror  so  depressing  that  it  well- 
nigh  drove  her  mad. 

The  wounds  in  his  legs  and  side  were  closed  and  the 
great  bruises  on  his  back  and  head  were  reduced. 
When  he,  faint  and  weak,  began  to  understand  what 
was  going  on  about  him,  he  saw  the  face  of  one  of  the 
two  women  over  whom  he  had  raved  in  his  delirium. 
In  the  hours  when  death  seemed  but  a  step  away  he 
had  plaintively  called  for  Grace  and  then  for  Tennys. 


TO    THE    VICTOR    BELONGS—?    283 

A  strange  gladness  filled  the  heart  of  the  one  beside 
him  when  he  uttered  the  unconscious  appeal  to  her. 
Sometimes  she  found  herself  growing  red  over  the 
things  he  was  saying  to  her  in  his  ravings ;  again  she 
would  chill  with  the  tender  words  that  went  to  Grace. 
Then  came  the  day  when  he  saw  and  knew  her.  Often 
in  the  days  of  his  convalescence  she  would  start  from 
a  reverie,  certain  that  she  heard  him  call  as  he  did  in 
delirium,  only  to  sink  back  and  smile  sadly  with  the 
discovery  that  she  had  been  dreaming. 

The  village  of  Ridgehunt  was  a  great  hospital  for 
weeks  after  the  fight.  Lady  Tennys  herself  had  or 
dered  the  dead  to  be  buried  in  the  trenches.  For  the 
first  time  in  the  history  of  the  island  the  Oolooz  men 
had  been  beaten.  She  spent  many  hours  in  telling 
Hugh  of  the  celebrations  that  followed  the  wonderful 
achievements. 

"There  is  one  thing  about  our  friends  that  I  have 
not  told  you,  Hugh,"  she  said  one  night  as  they  sat 
under  the  awning.  "You  have  been  so  weak  that  I 
feared  the  shock  might  hurt  you." 

"You  think  of  my  comfort  always,"  he  said  grate- 
fully. 

"You  never  knew  that  they  brought  a  number  of 
prisoners  to  the  village  and — and — oh,  it  is  too  horri 
ble  to  tell  you." 

"Brought  them  to  the  village?     What  for?" 

"They  intended  to  eat  them,"  she  said,  shuddering. 

"Great  Scott!     They  are  not  cannibals?" 

"I  couldn't  believe  it  until  I  saw  them  making  ready 


284  NEDRA 

for  their  awful  feast  out  there.  I  shall  never  be  able 
to  eat  meat  again.  Alzam  brought  me  a  piece  of  the 
horrid  stuff.  They  executed  the  prisoners  before  I 
could  interfere." 

"Oh,  that's  too  horrible !" 

"Sick  and  terrified,  I  went  among  the  men  who  were 
dancing  about  the  feast  they  were  ready  to  devour, 
and,  assuming  a  boldness  I  did  not  feel,  commanded 
them  to  desist.  The  king  was  bewildered  at  first,  then 
chagrined,  but  as  I  threatened  him  ferociously — 

"I  should  have  enjoyed  seeing  you  ferocious." 

"He  called  the  brutes  away  and  then  I  gave  orders 
to  have  every  one  of  the  bodies  buried.  For  several 
days  after  that,  however,  the  men  were  morose  and 
ugly  looking,  and  I  am  sure  it  was  hard  for  them  to 
submit  to  such  a  radical  change." 

"Talk  about  missionaries !     You  are  a  wonder !" 

"I  could  not  have  done  it  as  a  missionary,  Mr. 
Ridgeway.  It  was  necessary  for  me  to  exert  my  au 
thority  as  a  goddess." 

"And  so  they  are  cannibals,"  he  mused,  still  looking 
at  her  spirited  face. 

"Just  think  what  might  have  happened  to  us,"  she 
said. 

That  night  as  he  lay  on  his  couch  he  was  forced  to 
admit  that  the  inconsolable  grief  that  had  borne  down 
so  heavily  upon  him  at  first  was  almost  a  part  of  the 
past.  The  pain  inspired  by  the  loss  of  a  loved  one 
was  being  mysteriously  eased.  He  was  finding  pleas 
ure  in  a  world  that  had  been  dark  and  drear  a  few  short 


TO    THE    VICTOR    BELONGS—?    285 

months  before.  He  was  dimly  conscious  of  a  feeling 
that  the  companionship  of  Tennys  Huntingford  was 
beginning  to  wreak  disaster  to  a  supposedly  impreg 
nable  constancy. 

Tears  came  to  his  eyes  as  he  murmured  the  name  of 
the  girl  who  had  sailed  so  blithely  from  New  York 
with  his  love  as  her  only  haven.  He  called  himself  the 
basest  of  wretches,  the  most  graceless  of  lovers.  He 
sobbed  aloud  at  last  in  his  penitence,  and  his  heart 
went  back  to  the  night  of  the  wreck.  His  love  went 
down  to  the  bottom  of  the  sea,  craving  a  single  chance 
to  redeem  itself  before  the  one  it  had  wounded  and 
humiliated.  Before  he  fell  asleep  his  conscience  was 
relieved  of  part  of  its  weight  and  the  strong,  sweet 
face  of  Grace  Vernon  passed  from  his  vivid  thoughts 
into  vague  dreams. 

In  the  next  apartment  tranquilly  slept  the  disturber, 
the  trespasser  in  the  fields  of  memory,  the  undoer  of 
a  long-wrought  love.  He  had  tried  to  learn  the  way  to 
her  heart,  wondering  if  she  cared  for  him  as  he  had 
more  than  once  suspected.  In  pursuing  this  hazard 
ous  investigation  he  had  learned  nothing,  had  seen 
nothing  but  perfect  frankness  and  innocence,  but  had 
become  more  deeply  interested  than  he  knew  until  this 
night  of  recapitulation. 

One  night,  two  or  three  after  he  had  thrown  off  the 
delirium,  he  heard  her  praying  in  her  room,  softly, 
earnestly.  Of  that  prayer  one  plea  remained  in  his 
memory  long  after  her  death :  "Oh,  God,  save  the  soul 
of  Grace  Vernon.  Give  to  her  the  fulness  of  Thy  love. 


286  NEDRA 

If  she  be  still  alive,  protect  and  keep  her  safe  until  in 
Thy  goodness  she  may  be  restored  to  him  who  mourns 
for  her.  Save  and  bless  Hugh  Ridgeway." 

The  days  and  weeks  went  by  and  Hugh  grew  well 
and  strong.  To  Tennys  he  was  not  the  same  Hugh 
as  of  old.  She  perceived  a  change  and  wondered.  One 
day  at  sundown  he  sat  moodily  in  front  of  the  temple. 
She  was  lying  in  the  hammock  near  by.  There  had 
been  one  of  the  long,  and  to  her  inexplicable,  silences. 
He  felt  that  her  eyes  were  upon  him  and  knew  that 
they  were  wistful  and  perplexed. 

Try  as  he  would,  he  could  not  keep  his  own  eyes  in 
leash  ;  something  irresistible  made  him  lift  them  to  meet 
her  gaze.  For  a  moment  they  looked  at  each  other  in 
a  mute  search  for  something  neither  was  able  to  de 
scribe.  He  could  not  hold  out  against  the  pleading, 
troubled,  questioning  eyes,  bent  so  solemnly  upon  his 
own.  The  wounds  in  her  heart,  because  of  his  indif 
ference,  strange  and  unaccountable  to  her,  gaped  in 
those  blue  orbs. 

A  tremendous  revulsion  of  feeling  took  possession  of 
him ;  what  he  had  been  subduing  for  weeks  gained 
supremacy  in  an  instant.  He  half  rose  to  his  feet  as 
if  to  rush  over  and  crush  her  in  his  arms,  but  a 
mightier  power  than  his  emotion  held  him  back.  That 
same  unseen,  mysterious  power  compelled  him  to  turn 
about  and  almost  run  from  the  temple,  leaving  her 
chilled  and  distressed  by  his  action.  The  power  that 
checked  him  was  Memory. 

She  was  deeply  hurt  by  this  last  impulsive  exhibi- 


TO    THE    VICTOR    BELONGS—?    287 

tion  of  disregard.  A  bewildering  sense  of  loneliness 
oppressed  her.  He  despised  her !  All  the  world  grew 
black  for  her.  All  the  light  went  out  of  her  heart. 
He  despised  her!  There  was  a  faintness  in  her  knees 
when  she  essayed  to  arise  from  the  hammock.  A  little 
cry  of  anguish  left  her  lips ;  a  hunted,  friendless  look 
came  into  her  eyes. 

Staggering  to  the  end  of  the  temple,  she  looked  in 
the  direction  he  had  taken.  Far  down  the  line  of  hills 
she  saw  him  standing  on  a  little  elevation,  his  back 
toward  her,  his  face  to  the  river.  Some  strong  influ 
ence  drew  her  to  him.  Out  of  this  influence  grew  the 
wild,  unquenchable  desire  to  understand.  Hardly 
realizing  what  she  did,  she  hurried  through  the  grow 
ing  dusk  toward  the  motionless  figure.  As  she  came 
nearer  a  strange  timidity,  an  embarrassment  she  had 
never  felt  before,  seized  upon  her  and  her  footsteps 
slackened. 

He  had  not  seen  her.  A  panicky  inclination  to  fly 
back  to  the  temple  came  over  her.  In  her  heart  welled 
a  feeling  of  resentment.  Had  he  any  right  to  forget 
what  she  had  done  for  him? 

He  heard  her,  turned  swiftly,  and — trembled  in  every 
joint.  They  were  but  a  few  paces  apart  and  she  was 
looking  unwaveringly  into  his  eyes. 

"I  have  followed  you  out  here  to  ask  why  you  treat 
me  so  cruelly,"  she  said  after  a  long  silence  which  she 
sought  to  break  but  could  not.  He  distinguished  in 
this  pathetic  command,  meant  to  be  firm  and  positive, 
the  tremor  of  tears. 


288  NEDRA 

"I — I  do  not  treat  you  cruelly,  Tennys,"  he  an 
swered  dis jointly,  still  looking  at  the  slight,  graceful 
figure,  as  if  unable  to  withdraw  his  eyes. 

"What  do  you  call  it?"  she  asked  bitterly. 

"You  wrong  me — "  he  began. 

"Wrong  you?  No,  I  do  not.  You  saved  me  from 
the  sea  and  you  have  done  much  for  me  until  within 
the  past  few  weeks.  I  had  begun  to  forget  that  I  am 
here  because  fate  substituted  me  for  another.  Hugh, 
do  not  let  your  love  for  Grace  and  your  regret  at  not 
having  saved  her  turn  you  against  me.  I  am  not  here 
because  I  could  have  helped  it.  You  must  know  that 
I—" 

"For  Heaven's  sake,  Tennys,  don't  talk  like  that! 
The  trouble  is  that  I  do  not  regret  having  saved  you. 
That's  why  you  see  the  change  in  me — that's  why  I've 
hurt  you.  I  cannot  be  to  you  what  I  would  be — I  can 
not  and  be  true  to  myself,"  he  cried  fiercely. 

"What  do  you  mean?  Why  are  you  so  unhappy, 
Hugh?  Have  I  hurt  you?'  she  asked,  coming  quite 
close  in  sudden  compassion. 

"Hurt  me!"  heexclaimed.  'You  will  kill  me!"  She 
paled  with  the  thought  that  he  was  delirious  again  or 
crazed  from  the  effects  of  the  fever. 

"Don't  say  that,  Hugh.  I  care  more  for  you  than 
for  any  one  in  the  world.  Why  should  I  hurt  you?" 
she  asked  tenderly,  completely  misunderstanding  him. 

"You  don't  mean  to,  but  you  do.  I  have  tried  to 
conquer  it  but  I  cannot.  Don't  you  know  why  I  have 
forced  myself  to  be  unhappy  during  the  past  few 


TO    THE    VICTOR    BELONGS—?    289 

weeks?  Can't  you  see  why  I  am  making  you 
unhappy,  too,  in  my  struggle  to  beat  down  the  some 
thing  that  has  driven  everything  else  out  of  my 
mind?" 

"Don't  talk  so,  Hugh;  it  will  be  all  right.  Come 
home  now  and  I  will  give  you  some  wine  and  put  some 
cool  bandages  on  your  head.  You  are  not  well."  She 
was  so  gentle,  so  unsuspecting  that  he  could  contain 
himself  no  longer. 

"I  love  you — I  worship  you !  That  is  why  I  am 
cruel  to  you !"  he  burst  out.  A  weakness  assailed  him 
and  he  leaned  dizzily  against  the  tree  at  his  side.  He 
dared  not  look  at  her,  but  he  marvelled  at  her  silence. 
If  she  loved  him,  as  he  believed,  why  was  she  so  quiet, 
so  still? 

"Do  you  know  what  you  say?"  she  asked  slowly. 

"I  have  said  it  to  myself  a  thousand  times  since  I  left 
you  at  the  temple.  I  did  not  intend  to  tell  you ;  I  had 
sworn  you  should  never  know  it.  What  do  you  think 
of  me?" 

"I  thought  you  called  it  love  that  sent  you  to 
Manila,"  she  said  wonderingly,  wounding  without 
malice. 

"It  was  love,  I  say.  I  loved  her  better  than  all  the 
world  and  I  have  not  forgotten  her.  She  will  always 
be  as  dear  to  me  as  she  was  on  the  night  I  lost  her.  You 
have  not  taken  her  place.  You  have  gone  farther  and 
inspired  a  love  that  is  new,  strange,  overpowering — 
infinitely  greater,  far  different  from  the  love  I  had 
known  before.  She  was  never  to  me  what  you  are. 


290  NEDRA 

That  is  what  drives  me  mad — mad,  do  you  hear?  I 
have  simply  been  overwhelmed  by  it." 

"I  must  be  dreaming,"  she  murmured. 

"I  have  tried  to  hide  it  from  myself,  but  it  has  broken 
down  all  barriers  and  floods  the  world  for  me." 

"It  is  because  we  are  here  alone  in  this  island — 

"No,  no !  Not  that,  I  swear.  It  would  have  come 
sooner  or  later." 

"You  are  not  like  other  men.  I  have  not  thought  of 
you  as  I  see  you  now.  I  cannot  understand  being  loved 
by  you.  It  hurts  me  to  see  that  you  are  in  earnest. 
Oh,  Hugh,  how  sorry  I  am,"  she  cried,  laying  her 
hand  upon  his  arm.  His  heart  dropped  like  lead.  He 
saw  that  he  had  been  mistaken — she  did  not  love  him. 

"You  are  learning  that  I  am  not  the  harlequin  after 
all,"  he  said  bitterly. 

"There  is  no  one  in  all  the  world  so  good  and  strong 
and  true." 

"You — you  will  love  me?" 

"You  must  not  ask  that  of  me.  I  am  still  Lady 
Huntingford,  a  wife  for  all  we  know.  Yet  if  I  loved 
you,  I  would  tell  you  so.  Have  I  not  told  you  that  I 
cannot  love?  I  have  never  loved.  I  never  shall.  Don't 
look  like  that,  Hugn.  I  would  to  God  I  could  love 
you,"  she  exclaimed.  His  chin  had  sunk  upon  his 
breast  and  his  whole  body  relaxed  through  sheer  de 
jection. 

"I'll  make  you  love  me !"  he  cried  after  a  moment's 
misery  in  the  depths,  his  spirits  leaping  high  with  the 
quick  recoil.  His  eager  hands  seized  her  shoulders 


TO    THE    VICTOR    BELONGS—?    291 

and  drew  her  close,  so  close  that  their  bodies  touched 
and  his  impassioned  eyes  were  within  a  few  inches  of 
hers  of  startled  blue.  "I'll  make  you  love  me !" 

"Please  let  me  go.  Please,  Hugh,"  she  murmured 
faintly. 

"You  must — you  shall  love  me!  I  cannot  live  with 
out  you.  I'll  have  you  whether  you  will  or  no,"  he 
whispered  fiercely. 

She  did  not  draw  back,  but  looked  him  fairly  in  the 
eye  as  she  spoke  coldly,  calmly,  even  with  a  sneer. 

"You  are  master  here  and  I  am  but  a  helpless  woman. 
Would  you  force  me  to  forget  that  you  have  been  my 
ideal  man?" 

"Tennys !"  he  cried,  falling  back  suddenly.  "You 
don't  think  I  would  harm  you — oh,  you  know  I  didn't 
mean  that !  What  must  you  think  of  me  ?" 

He  put  his  hand  over  his  eyes  as  if  in  deep  pain,  and, 
turning  away,  leaned  against  the  tree  unsteadily. 
With  his  first  words,  his  first  expression,  she  knew  she 
had  wronged  him.  A  glad  rush  of  blood  to  her  heart 
set  it  throbbing  violently. 

She  could  not  have  explained  the  thrill  that  went 
through  her  when  he  grasped  her  shoulders,  nor  could 
she  any  more  define  the  peculiar  joy  that  came  when 
she  took  a  step  forward  and  placed  her  hands  gently, 
timidly  on  his  arm. 

"Forgive  me,  Hugh,  I  must  have  been  mad  to  say 
what  I  did.  You  are  too  noble — too  good —  "  she  be 
gan  in  a  pleading  little  quaver. 

"I  knew  you  couldn't  mean  it,"  he  exclaimed,  facing 


292  NEDRA 

her  joyously.     "How  beautiful  you  are!"  he  added 
impetuously.    He  was  looking  down  into  that  penitent 
face  and  the  cry  was  involuntary.     She  smiled  faintly 
and  he  raised  his  arms  as  if  to  clasp  her  to  his  breast, 
come  what  may.      The  smile  lingered,  yet  his  arms 
dropped  to  his  sides.     She  had  not  moved,  had  not 
taken  her  eyes  from  his,  but  there  was  an  unrelenting 
command  in  the  soft  words  she  uttered. 
"Be  careful.     I  am  always  to  trust  you,  Hugh." 
He  bowed  his  head  and  they  walked  slowly  homeward. 


CHAPTER  XXIX 
THE  OTHER  SURRENDER 

THE  first  few  days  and  nights  after  this  episode 
found  Ridgeway  despairing  and  unhappy,  but  as  time 
removed  the  sting  from  defeat,  his  hopes  began  to 
flounder  to  the  surface  again,  growing  into  a  resolu 
tion,  strong  and  arrogant.  He  devoted  himself  to  her 
tenderly,  thoughtfully,  unreservedly.  There  was 
something  subtle  in  his  gallantry,  something  fas 
cinating  in  his  good  humor,  something  in  every 
thing  he  did  that  attracted  her  more  than  it  had 
before.  She  only  knew  that  she  was  happy  when 
with  him  and  that  he  was  unlike  any  man  she  had 
known. 

There  were  times  when  she  imagined  that  he  was  in 
different  to  the  shock  his  pride  had  received  at  her 
hands,  and  at  such  times  she  was  puzzled  to  find  her 
self  piqued  and  annoyed.  A  little  gnawing  pain  kept 
her  awake  with  these  intermittent  fears. 

She  became  expert  in  the  art  of  making  garments 
from  the  woven  grass.  Her  wardrobe  contained  some 
remarkable  gowns,  and  his  was  enlarged  by  the  addi 
tion  of  "Sunday  trousers"  and  a  set  of  shirt  blouses. 
They  wore  sandals  instead  of  shoes.  Each  had  a  pair 
of  stockings,  worn  at  the  time  of  the  wreck,  but  they 


294  NEDRA 

were  held  in  sacred  disuse  against  the  hoped-for  day 
of  deliverance. 

One  day,  late  in  September,  after  the  sun  had  ban 
ished  the  mists  from  the  air  and  the  dampness  from 
the  ground  by  a  clear  day's  process,  they  wandered 
down  between  the  gateposts  to  the  beach  where  they 
had  first  landed  with  Pootoo.  The  sun  was  sinking 
toward  the  water-line  and  they  sat  wistfully  watching 
it  pass  into  the  sea.  For  nearly  five  months  they  had 
lived  with  the  savages,  for  the  greater  portion  not  un 
happily,  but  always  with  the  expectation  that  some 
day  a  vessel  would  come  to  take  them  back  to  civiliza 
tion. 

"It  has  not  been  so  unpleasant,  after  all,  has  it?" 
she  asked.  "We  have  been  far  more  comfortable  than 
we  could  have  prayed  for." 

"I  should  enjoy  seeing  a  white  man  once  in  a  while, 
though,  and  I'd  give  my  head  for  this  morn 
ing's  Chicago  newspaper,"  he  answered  rather 
glumly. 

"I  have  been  happier  on  this  island  than  I  ever  was 
in  my  life.  Isn't  it  strange?  Isn't  it  queer  that  we 
have  not  gone  mad  with  despair?  But  I,  for  one,  have 
not  suffered  a  single  pang,  except  over  the  death  of 
our  loved  ones." 

"Lord  Huntingford  included,"  maliciously. 

"That  is  unkind,  Hugh.  I  am  ashamed  to  say  it,  but 
I  want  to  forget  that  he  ever  lived." 

"You  will  have  plenty  of  time  to  forget  all  you  ever 
knew  before  we  die.  We'll  spend  the  rest  of  our  days 


THE    OTHER    SURRENDER        295 

in  that  nigger  village  back  there.  If  I  should  die  first 
I  suppose  you'd  forget  me  in  a  week  or  so.  It — " 

"Why,  Hugh !  You  know  better  than  that !  Why 
do  you  say  such  disagreeeable  things?" 

"I'm  not  worth  remembering  very  long,"  he  said 
lamely.  She  smiled  and  said  the  statement  threw  a 
different  light  on  the  question.  Whereupon  he  did 
not  know  whether  to  laugh  or  scowl. 

"This  dear  old  island,"  she  cried,  looking  toward  the 
great  rocks  lovingly.  "Really,  I  should  be  sorry  to 
leave  it." 

"When  the  ship  comes,  I'll  go  back  to  America,  and 
you  may  remain  here  if  you  like  and  be  the  only  Izor 
in  the  business."  He  said  it  in  jest,  but  she  looked  at 
him  solemnly  for  a  moment  and  then  turned  her  eyes 
out  to  sea.  She  was  reclining  on  her  side,  her  hand 
supporting  her  head,  her  elbow  in  the  sand.  He  sat 
five  feet  away,  digging  holes  in  the  sand  with  an  odd 
little  walking  stick.  One  of  her  sandalled  feet  pro 
truded  from  beneath  the  hem  of  her  garment,  showing 
ever  so  little  of  the  bare,  white,  fascinating  ankle. 

"I  should  despise  the  place  if  I  had  to  live  here  a  day 
without  you,"  she  said  simply. 

"What  do  you  mean?"  She  did  not  answer  at  once. 
When  she  did,  it  was  earnestly  and  without  the  least 
embarrassment. 

"Can't  I  make  you  understand  how  much  you  are 
to  me  ?"  she  asked  without  a  blush.  "You  are  the  best, 
the  noblest  man  I've  ever  known.  I  like  you  so  well 
that  I  do  not  know  how  I  could  live  if  I  did  not  have 


296  NEDRA 

you  to  talk  to,  if  I  could  not  see  you  and  be  with  you. 
Do  you  know  what  I  did  last  night?" 

He  could  only  shake  his  head  and  tremble  with  the 
joy  of  feeling  once  more  that  she  loved  him  and  did 
not  understand. 

"I  prayed  that  we  might  never  be  taken  from  the 
island,"  she  said  hurriedly,  as  if  expecting  him  to  con 
demn  her  for  the  wish.  He  rolled  over  on  his  back, 
closed  his  eyes,  and  tried  to  control  a  joyous,  leaping 
heart.  "It  was  so  foolish,  you  know,  to  pray  for  that, 
but  I've  been  so  contented  and  happy  here,  Hugh.  Of 
course,  I  don't  expect  we  are  to  live  here  always.  They 
will  find  us  some  day."  He  opened  his  eyes  and  haz 
arded  a  glance  at  his  face.  She  smiled  and  said,  "I'm 
afraid  they  will." 

There  was  but  the  space  of  five  feet  between  them. 
How  he  kept  from  bounding  to  her  side  and  clasping 
her  in  his  arms  he  never  knew ;  he  was  in  a  daze  of  de 
light.  So  certain  of  her  love  was  he  now  that,  through 
some  inexplicable  impulse,  he  closed  his  eyes  again  and 
waited  to  hear  more  of  the  delicious  confession. 

"Then  we  shall  leave  the  prettiest  land  in  the  world, 
a  land  where  show  and  pomp  are  not  to  be  found, 
where  nature  reigns  without  the  touch  of  sham,  and 
go  back  to  a  world  where  all  is  deceit,  mockery,  dis 
play.  I  love  everything  on  this  island,"  she  cried 
ecstatically.  He  said  nothing,  so  she  continued:  "I 
may  be  an  exile  forever,  but  I  feel  richer  instead  of 
poorer  away  off  here  in  this  unknown  paradise.  How 
plorious  it  is  to  be  one's  self  absolutely,  at  all  times 


THE    OTHER    SURRENDER        297 

and  in  all  places,  without  a  thought  of  what  the  world 
may  say.  Here  I  am  free,  I  am  a  part  of  nature." 

"Do  you  think  you  know  yourself  fully?"  he  asked 
as  quietly  as  he  could. 

"Know  myself?"  she  laughed.     "Like  a  book." 

"Could  you  love  this  island  if  you  were  here  alone?" 

"Well,  I — suppose — not,"  she  said,  calculatively. 
"It  would  not  be  the  same,  you  know." 

"Don't  you  know  why  you  feel  as  you  do  about  this 
God-forsaken  land,  Tennys  Huntingf ord  ?"  he  de 
manded,  suddenly  drawing  very  near  to  her,  his  burn 
ing  eyes  bent  upon  hers.  "Don't  you  know  why  you 
are  happy  here?"  She  was  confused  and  disturbed 
by  his  manner.  That  same  peculiar  flutter  of  the 
heart  she  had  felt  weeks  ago  on  the  little  knoll  attacked 
her  sharply. 

"I — I — I'm  sure — I  am  happy  just  because  I  am,  I 
dare  say,"  she  faltered,  conscious  of  an  imperative  in 
clination  to  lower  her  eyes,  but  strangely  unable  to 
do  so. 

"You  love  this  island  because  you  love  me,"  he  whis 
pered  in  her  ear. 

"No,  no!  It  is  not  that!  Please  don't  be  foolish 
again,  Hugh.  You  will  make  me  very  unhappy." 

"But  you  do  love  me.  You  love  me,  and  you  do  not 
know  it,"  he  said,  thrilled  with  exultation.  She  looked 
at  him  wonderingly,  a  half  scornful,  half  dubious 
smile  flitting  over  her  face. 

"I  will  try  to  be  patient  with  you.  Don't  you  think 
I  know  my  own  mind?"  she  asked. 


298  NEDRA 

"No :  you  do  not,"  he  said  vigorously.  "Let  me  ask 
you  a  few  questions,  and  I  beg  of  you,  for  your  own 
sake  and  mine,  to  answer  them  without  equivocation. 
I'll  prove  to  you  that  you  love  me." 

"Who  is  to  be  the  judge?"  she  asked  merrily.  She 
trembled  and  turned  cold  as  he  took  her  hand  in  his 
and — she  was  not  merry. 

"First,  is  there  another  man  in  the  world  that  you 
would  rather  have  here?  Answer,  dear."  The  blood 
mounted  to  her  cheek  at  the  term  of  endearment. 

"Not  one,"  she  answered  firmly,  trying  to  smile. 

"Have  you  never  thought — be  honest,  now — that  you 
don't  want  to  leave  the  island  because  it  would  mean 
our  separation?" 

"Yes,  but — but  it  would  be  the  same  with  anybody 
else  if  I  cared  for  him,"  she  exclaimed  quickly. 

"But  there  is  no  one  else,  is  there?"  She  looked  at 
him  helplessly.  "Answer !" 

"Oh,  Hugh,  I — it  would  not  be  right  for  me  to  en 
courage  you  by  answering  that.  Please  let  us  go  back 
to  the  village,"  she  pleaded. 

"Well,  I  know  there  is  no  one  else.  Tell  me  that  you 
don't  want  to  leave  me  because  we  should  drift  apart 
in  the  big  world,"  he  persisted. 

"I  had  thought  of  that,"  she  said  so  low  that  he 
could  barely  hear. 

"You  have  prayed  that  Grace  may  be  alive.  What 
would  it  mean  to  you  if  she  should  be  alive  and  we 
should  be  reunited?" 

"I — I  don't  know,"  she  muttered  blankly. 


THE    OTHER    SURRENDER        299 

"Would  you  be  willing  and  happy  to  give  me  up  to 
her?" 

"I  never  thought  of  that,"  she  said.  Then  a  terror 
leaped  to  her  eyes  and  her  breast  heaved  as  with  pain. 
"Oh,  Hugh,  what  would  that  mean  to  me?  I  could 
not  give  you  up — I  could  not !"  she  cried,  clasping  his 
hand  feverishly  in  both  of  hers. 

"Would  you  be  glad  to  see  us  married,  to  see  us  living 
together,  to  see  children  come  to  us?  Would  you  be 
happy  if  I  forgot  you  in  my  love  for  her  ?"  he  went  on 
remorselessly,  yet  delightedly. 

"You  couldn't  forget  me,"  she  whispered,  faint  and 
trembling  now.  "You  don't  mean  to  say  I  never  could 
be  near  you  again!"  There  was  dismay  in  her  face 
and  a  sob  in  her  voice. 

"Oh,  occasionally,  but  in  a  very  formal  way." 

"I  believe  I  should  die,"  she  cried,  unable  to  restrain 
herself. 

"You  admit  then  that  you  want  me  for  yourself 
only,"  he  said. 

"Yes,  yes  I  do,  Hugh !  I  want  you  every  minute  of 
my  life !" 

"Now  you  are  beginning  to  know  what  love  is,"  he 
breathed  in  her  ear.  His  eager  arm  stole  slowly  around 
her  shoulders  and,  as  she  felt  herself  being  drawn 
close  to  him  irresistibly,  a  sweet  wonder  overwhelmed 
her.  The  awakening  had  come.  With  singing  heart 
she  lifted  her  hands  to  his  cheeks,  bewitched  by  the 
new  spell,  holding  his  face  off  from  her  own  while  she 
looked  long  and  yearningly  into  his  eyes.  A  soft  flush 


300  NEDRA 

crept  over  her  brow  and  down  her  neck,  her  eyes  wa 
vered  and  melted  into  mirrors  of  love,  her  lips  parted, 
but  she  could  not  speak.  The  clasp  tightened,  his  face 
came  nearer,  his  words  sounded  like  music  in  her  en 
chanted  ears. 

"Have  I  proved  that  you  love  me,  darling?" 
"I  never  knew  till  now — I  never  knew  till  now,"  she 
whispered. 

Their  lips  met,  their  eyes  closed,  and  the  world  was 
far,  far  away  from  the  little  stretch  of  sand. 


CHAPTER  XXX 
WHERE  THERE  IS  NO  MINISTER 

Six  savages  lying  on  the  sand  far  above  them  saw 
the  strange  scene  down  near  the  splashing  surf  and 
looked  blankly  at  each  other.  They  had  never  known 
their  Izors  to  act  in  that  manner,  and  their  benighted 
minds  were  troubled. 

"Oh,  Hugh,  those  men  are  looking  at  us,"  she  pro 
tested,  after  the  first  moments  of  joy. 

"Let  them  look,"  he  cried.  "You  should  pity  them, 
dear,  for  until  a  few  moments  ago  you  were  as  much 
in  the  dark  as  to  the  meaning  of  love  as  they  are  now. 
You  were  a  perfect  heathen." 

"You  are  no  longer  the  harlequin.  You  have  become 
the  wizard." 

"But  it  isn't  a  pantomine,"  he  said. 

The  shadows  were  falling  and  darkness  was  settling 
about  them  as  they  passed  between  the  giant  rocks  and 
into  Velvet  Valley,  his  arm  around  her  waist.  This 
new  emotion  deprived  them  of  the  desire  to  talk.  There 
was  a  conscious  flush  in  her  cheeks,  a  queer  restraint 
in  her  voice,  a  curious  timidity  in  her  manner  when 
they  sat  before  the  rude  table  in  the  temple  and  par 
took  of  food  that  had  never  tasted  so  sweet  before; 
though  neither  could  eat  of  it.  Something  had  satis- 


302  NEDRA 

fied  the  grosser  appetite;  something  was  tugging  and 
choking  the  old  into  submission  while  the  new  was 
crowding  into  its  realm,  buoyantly,  inflatingly. 

They  sat  in  front  of  the  temple  until  far  in  the 
night,  revelling  in  the  beauty  of  the  new  nature.  The 
whole  world  seemed  different  to  them  as  they  regarded 
it  through  the  eyes  of  love ;  the  moonlit  sky  was  more 
glorious  than  ever  before;  the  sombre  stillness  of  the 
night  was  more  restful ;  the  atmosphere  was  sweet  with 
the  breath  of  passion ;  the  sports  of  the  savages  had  a 
fresh  novelty ;  the  torches  in  front  of  the  king's  home 
flickered  with  a  merrier  brilliancy. 

All  Ridgehunt  was  awake  and  celebrating,  for  it  was 
a  festal  night.  King  Pootoo  had  taken  unto  himself 
a  new  wife,  adding  one  more  to  the  household  of  his 
heart.  There  were  dances  and  sports  and  all  manner 
of  festivities  in  honor  of  the  event,  for  it  was  not 
oftener  than  twice  a  year  that  the  king  took  a  new 
wife  unto  his  bosom.  The  white  people  never  knew 
where  the  ceremony  began.  They  only  knew  that  on 
this  night  of  all  nights  the  father  of  the  bride  had  led 
her  to  the  king  and  had  drawn  with  his  spear  a  circle 
in  the  soft  earth. 

Inside  of  this  circle  the  girl  prostrated  herself  before 
the  groom-elect  and  the  marriage  was  complete  when 
the  royal  giant  stepped  into  the  wedding  ring  and 
lifted  her  to  her  feet,  leading  her  to  a  place  among 
her  predecessors,  who  sat  on  the  ground  near  by.  Then 
the  celebration  ran  to  its  highest  pitch.  Late  in  the 
night  the  weird  revelry  ceased  and  the  two  spectators 


WHERE  THERE  IS    NO  MINISTER     303 

entered  the  temple,  her  hand  in  his.  He  led  her  to  the 
curtained  door  of  her  apartment. 

"Good-night,  dear  one,"  he  said  softly.  She  turned 
her  face  to  his  and  he  held  her  for  an  instant  to  his 
heart,  their  lips  meeting  in  a  long  thrill  of  ecstasy. 

"Good-night,"  she  whispered.  He  pulled  the  curtain 
aside  and  she  slowly  entered  the  room.  For  an  hour 
afterward  he  lay  awake,  wondering  what  manner  of 
love  it  was  he  had  given  to  Grace  Vernon.  It  was  not 
like  this. 

It  was  barely  daylight  when  he  arose  from  his  couch, 
dressed  and  started  for  a  brisk  walk  over  the  hills.  His 
ramble  was  a  long  one  and  the  village  was  astir  when 
he  came  through  the  woodland,  some  distance  from 
the  temple.  Expecting  to  find  Tennys  waiting  for 
him,  he  hastened  to  their  abode.  She  evidently  had 
not  arisen,  so,  with  a  tinge  of  disappointment,  he  went 
to  his  room.  Then  he  heard  her,  with  her  women,  tak 
ing  her  morning  plunge  in  the  pool.  The  half  hour 
before  she  made  her  appearance  seemed  a  day  to  him. 
They  met  in  the  hallway,  he  glad  and  expectant,  she 
shy  and  diffident.  The  red  that  burned  in  her  cheeks 
turned  to  white  when  he  kissed  her,  and  her  eyelids  fell 
tremblingly  with  the  proof  positive  that  she  had  not 
dreamed  the  exquisite  story  of  the  night  before. 

Later  in  the  morning  they  called  on  the  king,  and 
that  individual  promptly  prostrated  himself.  They 
found  the  new  bride  repairing  a  section  of  the  king's 
palace  that  had  been  blown  down  by  a  recent  hurri 
cane.  Before  the  white  people  left,  Tennys  had  the 


304.  NEDRA 

satisfaction  and  Hugh  the  amusement  of  seeing  the 
big  chief  repairing  the  rent  and  the  bride  taking  a 
rest. 

"I've  been  thinking  pretty  hard  this  morning,  dear," 
he  said  as  they  walked  back  to  the  temple,  "especially 
when  I  was  alone  in  the  forest." 

"Can't  you  think  unless  you  are  alone?"  she  asked, 
smiling. 

"We  all  think  differently  sometimes  when  we  are 
alone,  you  know.  I  was  just  thinking  what  a  dickens 
of  a  position  we  are  in  for  a  pair  of  lovers." 

"It  seems  to  me  that  it  is  ideal." 

"But  where  is  the  minister  or  magistrate?" 

"What  have  they  to  do  with  it?" 

"Everything,  I  should  say.  We  can't  get  married 
without  one  or  the  other,"  he  blurted  out.  She  stopped 
stockstill  with  a  gasp. 

"Get  married?  Why — why,  we  have  said  nothing 
of  getting  married." 

"And  that's  just  why  I  am  speaking  of  it  now.  I 
want  you  to  be  my  wife,  Tennys.  Will  you  be  my 
wife,  dear?"  he  asked  nervously. 

"How  absurd,  Hugh.  We  may  be  on  this  island  for 
ever,  and  how  are  we  to  be  married  here?  Besides,  I 
had  not  thought  of  it." 

"But  you  must  think  of  it.  I  can't  do  all  the  think- 
ing." 

"Lord  Huntingford  may  not  be  dead,"  she  said, 
turning  pale  with  the  possibility. 

"I  can  swear  that  he  is.     He  was  one  of  the  first  to 


WHERE  THERE  IS    NO  MINISTER     305 

perish.  I  don't  believe  you  know  what  love  is  even 
now,  or  you  would  answer  my  question." 

"Don't  be  so  petulant,  please.  It  is  a  serious  matter 
to  consider,  as  well  as  an  absurd  one,  situated  as  we 
are.  Now,  if  I  should  say  that  I  will  be  your  wife, 
what  then?" 

"But  you  haven't  said  it,"  he  persisted. 

"Hugh,  dear,  I  would  become  your  wife  to-day,  to 
morrow — any  time,  if  it  were  possible." 

"That's  what  I  wanted  you  to  say." 

"But  until  we  are  taken  from  this  island  to  some 
place  where  there  is  an  altar,  how  can  we  be  married, 
Hugh?" 

"Now,  that's  something  for  you  to  think  about.  It's 
almost  worried  the  life  out  of  me." 

By  this  time  they  had  reached  the  temple.  She  flung 
herself  carelessly  into  the  hammock,  a  contented  sigh 
coming  from  her  lips.  He  leaned  against  a  post  near 

by- 

"I  am  perfectly  satisfied  here,  Hugh,"  she  said  tanta- 
lizingly.  "I've  just  been  thinking  that  I  am  safer 
here." 

"Safer?" 

"To  be  sure,  dear.  If  we  live  here  always  there  can 
be  no  one  to  disturb  us,  you  know.  Has  it  ever  oc 
curred  to  you  that  some  one  else  may  claim  you  if  we 
go  back  to  the  world?  And  Lord  Huntingford  may 
be  waiting  for  me  down  at  the  dock,  too.  I  think  I 
shall  object  to  being  rescued,"  she  said  demurely. 

"Well,  if  he  is  alive,  you  can  get  a  divorce  from  him 


306  NEDRA 

on  the  ground  of  desertion.  I  can  swear  that  he  de 
serted  you  on  the  night  of  the  wreck.  He  all  but 
threw  you  overboard." 

"Let  me  ask  a  question  of  you.  Suppose  we  should 
be  rescued  and  you  find  Grace  alive  and  praying  for 
your  return,  loving  you  more  than  ever.  What  would 
become  of  her  if  you  told  her  that  you  loved  me  and 
what  would  become  of  me  if  you  married  her?" 

He  gulped  down  a  great  lump  and  the  perspiration 
oozed  from  his  pores.  Her  fa^e  was  troubled  and  full 
of  earnestness. 

"What  could  I  say  to  her?"  He  began  to  pace  back 
and  forth  beneath  the  awning.  She  watched  him  pity 
ingly,  understanding  his  struggle. 

"Now  you  know,  Hugh,  why  I  want  to  live  here  for 
ever.  I  have  thought  of  all  this,"  she  said  softly,  hold 
ing  out  her  hand  to  him.  He  took  it  feverishly,  gain 
ing  courage  from  its  gentle  touch. 

"It  is  better  that  she  should  mourn  for  me  as  dead," 
he  said  at  last,  "than  to  have  me  come  back  to  her  with 
love  for  another  in  my  breast.  Nedra  is  the  safest 
place  in  all  the  world,  after  all,  dearest.  I  can't  bear 
to  think  of  her  waiting  for  me  if  she  is  alive,  waiting 
to — to  be  my  wife.  Poor,  poor  girl !" 

"We  have  been  unhappy  enough  for  to-day.  Let  us 
forget  the  world  and  all  its  miseries,  now  that  we  both 
love  the  island  well  enough  to  live  and  die  on  its  soil. 
Have  you  thought  how  indescribably  alone  we  are,  per 
haps  for  the  rest  of  our  lives?  Years  and  years  may 
be  spent  here.  Let  them  all  be  sweet  and  good  and 


WHERE  THERE  IS    NO  MINISTER     307 

happy.  You  know  I  would  be  your  wife  if  I  could, 
but  I  cannot  unless  Providence  takes  us  by  the  hands 
and  lifts  us  to  the  land  where  some  good  man  can  say : 
'Whom  God  hath  joined,  let  not  man  put  asunder.' ' 

The  next  day  after  breakfast  she  took  him  by  the 
hand  and  led  him  to  the  little  knoll  down  by  the  hills. 
Her  manner  was  resolute ;  there  was  a  charm  in  it  that 
thrilled  him  with  expectancy. 

"If  we  are  not  rescued  within  a  year's  time,  it  is 
hardly  probable  that  we  will  ever  be  found,  is  it?"  she 
asked  reflectively. 

"They  may  find  us  to-morrow  and  they  may  never 
see  the  shores  of  this  island." 

"But  as  they  have  not  already  discovered  it,  there  is 
certainly  some  reason.  We  are  in  a  part  of  the  sea 
where  vessels  do  not  venture,  that  is  evident,"  she 
argued  persuasively. 

"But  why  do  you  ask  ?" 

"Because  you  want  me  to  be  your  wife,"  she  said, 
looking  him  frankly  in  the  eye. 

"I  can  only  pray  that  we  may  be  found,"  he  said  wist 
fully. 

"And  in  case  we  are  never  found?" 

"I  shall  probably  die  an  old  bachelor,"  he  laughed 
grimly.  For  some  moments  she  was  in  a  deep  study, 
evidently  questioning  the  advisability  or  propriety  of 
giving  expression  to  what  was  in  her  mind. 

"Are  there  not  a  great  many  methods  of  observing 
the  marriage  ceremony,  Hugh?  And  are  they  not  all 
sacred?"  she  asked  seriously. 


308  NEDRA 

"What  are  you  trying  to  get  at,  dear?" 

"I  may  as  well  tell  you  what  I  have  been  thinking  of 
since  last  night.  You  will  not  consider  me  bold  and 
unwomanly,  I  know,  but  I  want  to  be  your  wife.  We 
may  never  leave  this  island,  but  we  can  be  married 
here." 

"Married  here !"  he  exclaimed.     "You  mean " 

"I  mean  that  the  ceremony  of  these  natives  can  be 
made  as  sacred  in  the  eye  of  God  as  any  in  all  the 
world.  Nine-tenths  or  more  of  all  the  marriages  in 
the  world  are  crimes,  because  man,  not  God,  welds  the 
bonds.  Therefore,  I  say  frankly  to  you,  Hugh,  that 
I  will  marry  you  some  day  according  to  the  custom  of 
these  people,  as  sacred  to  me  as  that  of  any  land  on 
earth." 

At  first  he  could  hardly  believe  that  he  had  heard 
aright,  but  as  she  progressed  and  he  saw  the  nobility, 
the  sincerity,  of  her  declaration,  a  wave  of  reverential 
love  swept  through  his  heart.  The  exaltation  of  a 
moment  before  was  quelled,  destroyed  by  a  sacred, 
solemn  regard  for  her.  There  was  a  lump  in  his  throat 
as  he  bent  over  and  gently  took  her  hand  in  his,  lift 
ing  it  to  his  lips. 

"Are  you  sure  of  yourself,  darling?"  he  whispered. 

"I  could  not  have  spoken  had  I  not  been  sure.  I  am 
very  sure  of  myself.  I  trust  you  so  fully  that  I  am 
sure  of  you  as  well." 

He  kissed  her  rapturously. 

"God  bless  you.  I  can  hardly  breathe  for  the  joy 
I  feel." 


WHERE  THERE  IS    NO  MINISTER     309 

"But  you  do  not  say  you  will  marry  me,"  she  smiled. 

"You  shall  be  my  wife  to-day,"  he  cried. 

"I  beg  your  pardon,"  she  said  gaily,  "but  as  the 
bride  I  am  the  arbiter  of  time.  If  in  a  year  from  now 
we  are  still  here,  I  will  be  your  wife." 

"A  year !  Great  heaven !  Impossible !  I  won't  wait 
that  long.  Now  be  sensible,  Tennys." 

"I  am  very  sensible.  While  I  am  willing  to  recognize 
the  sacredness  of  the  marriage  laws  here,  I  must  say 
that  I  prefer  those  of  my  own  land.  We  must  wait  a 
year  for  deliverance.  If  it  does  not  come,  then  I 
will " 

"But  that's  three  hundred  and  sixty-five  days — an 
age.  Make  it  a  month,  dear.  A  month  is  a  long,  long 
time,  too." 

"A  year  is  a  long  time,"  she  mused.  "I  will  marry 
you  on  the  twenty-third  of  next  May." 

"Six  months !"  he  exclaimed  reprovingly. 

"You  must  accept  the  decision.     It  is  final." 


CHAPTER  XXXI 
THE  WEDDING  RING 

THE  six  months  passed  and  the  strange  wedding  was 
near  at  hand.  The  underlying  hope  that  they  might 
be  discovered  and  restored  to  the  life  that  seemed  so 
remotely  far  behind  them  was  overshadowed,  obliter 
ated  by  the  conditions  and  preparations  attending 
their  nuptials.  Sincerity  of  purpose  and  the  force  of 
their  passion  justified  beyond  all  question  the  manner 
in  which  they  were  to  become  man  and  wife  in  this 
heathen  land  of  Nedra. 

Wedding  garments  had  been  woven  in  the  most  ar 
tistic  and  approved  fashion.  Lady  Tennys's  trous 
seau  was  most  elaborate,  far  more  extensive  than  even 
the  most  lavish  desires  of  civilization  could  have  pro 
duced. 

Their  subjects  vied  with  each  other  in  the  work  of 
decorating  their  idols  for  the  ceremony.  Never  before 
had  native  ingenuity  and  native  endurance  been  put 
to  such  a  test.  Worship  was  the  master  workman 
and  energy  its  slave. 

"If  they  keep  on  bringing  in  clothes,  dear,  we'll  have 
a  bargain-day  stock  to  dispose  of  some  time.  We'd 
have  to  live  two  hundred  years  in  order  to  try  'em  on 
and  thereby  set  the  fashion  in  exclusive  wedding  gar 
ments."  Hugh  made  this  comment  as  they  stood  sur- 


THE    WEDDING    RING  311 

veying  the  latest  consignment  of  robes,  which  reposed 
with  considerable  reverence  on  the  specially  con 
structed  tables  in  the  new  part  of  Tennys  Court. 
Amused  perplexity  revealed  itself  in  the  faces  of  the 
couple. 

"I  think  this  last  pair  of  trousers,  if  you  should  ever 
wear  them,  will  revolutionize  the  habits  of  the  island. 
You  will  look  especially  killing  in  green,  Hugh." 

"That  seashell  parasol  of  yours  is  unique,  but  I 
imagine  it  will  be  too  heavy  for  you  to  carry  in  Picca 
dilly.  I  observed  that  it  required  two  able-bodied  men 
to  bring  it  here,  and  they  seemed  immensely  relieved 
when  it  was  off  their  shoulders — to  say  nothing  of 
their  hands.  How  do  you  like  this  crocodile  skin  neck 
tie  of  mine?" 

"It  is  particularly  becoming  to  you — as  a  belt." 

"I'm  glad  we're  to  be  married  soon,  Tennys,"  said  he 
with  a  grin.  "If  we  put  it  off  a  month  longer  there 
won't  be  enough  material  on  land  or  sea  to  supply  the 
demand  for  ready-made  garments.  As  it  is,  I'm 
afraid  the  poor  devils  will  have  to  go  naked  them 
selves  until  a  new  crop  springs  up.  I  saw  one  of  Poo- 
too's  wives  patching  his  best  suit  of  breech  clothes  to 
day,  so  he  must  be  hard  put  for  wearing  apparel." 

"I  wonder  if  it  would  offend  them  if  we  were  to  dis 
tribute  what  we  can't  use  among  the  poor." 

"I  am  sure  it  would  please  the  poor  as  much  as  it 
would  please  us.  They'll  all  be  poor,  you  know.  I 
have  two  hundred  and  eighty-three  pairs  of  trousers 
and  only  seven  shirts.  If  I  could  trade  in  two  hundred 


NEDRA 

and  fifty  pants  for  an  extra  shirt  or  two,  I'd  be  a 
much  happier  bridegroom." 

"I  dare  say  they  can  cut  down  some  of  my  kimonas 
to  fit  you.  I  have  at  least  three  hundred." 

"I'd  like  that  blue  one  and  the  polka  dot  up  there. 
They'd  make  corking  shirts.  I'll  trade  you  twelve  of 
my  umbrellas  for  one  of  those  grass  bonnets  of  yours. 
They've  been  shoAving  too  much  partiality.  Here 
you've  got  nearly  one  hundred  suits  of  pajamas  and 
I  have  but  eleven." 

"Yes,  but  think  of  the  suits  of  armor  they've  made 
for  you  and  not  one  for  me." 

"But  I  wouldn't  have  time  to  change  armor  during 
a  battle,  would  I?  One  suit  is  enough  for  me.  By 
George,  they  look  worse  than  football  suits,  don't 
they?  One  couldn't  drive  a  javelin  through  this  chunk 
of  stuff  with  a  battering  ram." 

Everywhere  about  them  were  proofs  of  the  indefatig 
able  but  lamentable  industry  of  their  dusky  friends. 
Articles  inconceivable  in  more  ways  than  one  were 
heaped  in  the  huge  room.  Nondescript  is  no  word  to 
describe  the  heterogeneous  collection  of  things  sup 
posed  to  be  useful  as  well  as  ornamental.  Household 
utensils,  pieces  of  furniture,  bric-a-brac  of  the  most 
appalling  design,  knickknacks  and  gewgaws  without 
end  or  purpose  stared  the  bewildered  white  people  in 
the  face  with  an  intensity  that  confused  and  embar 
rassed  them  beyond  power  of  expression. 

Shortly  after  their  strange  betrothal,  Lady  Tennys 
had  become  a  strong  advocate  of  dress  reform  for 


THE    WEDDING    RING  313 

women  on  the  island  of  Nedra.  Neat,  loose  and  con 
venient  pajamas  succeeded  the  cumbersome  petticoats 
of  everyday  life.  She,  as  well  as  her  subjects,  made 
use  of  these  thrifty  garments  at  all  times  except  on 
occasions  of  state.  They  were  cooler,  more  rational — 
particularly  becoming — and  less  troublesome  than 
skirts,  and  their  advent  created  great  rejoicing  among 
the  natives,  who,  prior  to  the  arrival  of  their  white 
leaders,  had  worn  little  more  than  nothing  and  yet  had 
been  quite  fashionable. 

Tennys  was  secretly  rehearsing  the  marriage  cere 
mony  in  the  privacy  of  her  chamber,  prompted  and 
praised  by  her  faithful  handmaidens.  To  her,  this 
startling  wedding  meant  but  one  thing:  the  resigna 
tion  of  all  intent  to  leave  the  island.  The  day  she 
and  Hugh  Ridgeway  were  united  according  to  the 
custom  sacred  to  these  people,  their  fate  was  to  be 
sealed  forever.  It  was  to  bind  them  irrevocably  to 
Nedra,  closing  forever  to  them  the  chance  of  returning 
to  the  civilization  they  had  known  and  were  relinquish 
ing. 

Ridgeway  daily  inventoried  his  rapidly  increasing 
stock  of  war  implements,  proud  of  the  prowess  that 
had  made  him  a  war-god.  He  soberly  prohibited  the 
construction  of  a  great  boat  which  might  have  carried 
him  and  his  fair  companion  back  to  the  old  world. 

"If  we  are  rescued  before  the  wedding,  dear,  all  well 
and  good ;  but  if  not,  then  we  want  no  boat,  either  of 
our  own  or  other  construction,  to  carry  us  away.  Our 
wedding  day  will  make  us  citizens  of  Ridgehunt  until 


NEDRA 

death  ends  the  regime.  Our  children  may  depart,  but 
we  are  the  Izors  of  Nedra  to  the  last  hour  of  life." 

"Yes,"  she  said  simply. 

The  fortnight  immediately  prior  to  the  day  set  for 
the  wedding  was  an  exciting  one  for  the  bride  and 
groom-to-be.  Celebration  of  the  great  event  was  al 
ready  under  way  by  the  natives.  Great  feasts  were 
planned  and  executed;  war  dances  and  riots  of  wor 
ship  took  place,  growing  in  fervor  and  splendor  as  the 
day  approached ;  preparations  never  flagged  but  went 
on  as  if  the  future  existence  of  the  whole  world  de 
pended  entirely  upon  the  outcome  of  this  great  cere 
mony. 

"Yesterday  it  was  a  week,  now  it  is  but  six  days," 
said  Hugh  early  one  morning  as  they  set  forth  to 
watch  their  adorers  at  work  on  the  great  ceremonial 
temple  with  its  "wedding  ring."  The  new  temple  was 
a  huge  affair,  large  enough  to  accommodate  the  entire 
populace. 

"To-morrow  it  w:ll  be  but  five  days,"  she  said;  "but 
how  long  the  days  are  growing."  They  sat  beside 
the  spring  on  the  hillside  and  musingly  surveyed  the 
busy  architects  on  the  plain  below. 

"How  are  the  rehearsals  progressing?"  he  asked. 

"Excellently,  but  I  am  far  from  being  a  perfect  sav 
age.  It  doesn't  seem  possible  that  I  shall  ever  learn 
how  to  fall  gracefully  into  that  ring.  I  believe  I  shall 
insist  that  you  turn  your  head  at  the  particular  junc 
ture,  for  I  know  you'll  laugh  at  me,"  she  said  with  a 
great  show  of  concern. 


THE    WEDDING    RING  315 

"I  don't  like  that  part  of  the  service.  It's  a  shame 
for  me  to  stand  by  and  to  see  you  tumble  at  my 
feet.  Firstly,  it's  not  your  place ;  secondly,  it's  liable 
to  hurt  you;  lastly,  I'd  feel  a  most  unmanly  brute. 
Wonder  if  we  can't  modify  that  part  of  it  some 
how?" 

"I  might  be  carried  in  on  a  litter  and  set  down  in  the 
ring,  or  we  might  stretch  a  hammock,"  she  said,  laugh 
ing  merrily. 

"I'm  determined  on  one  point  and  that  is  in  regard  to 
the  pile  of  soft  grass.  Pootoo  promised  to  cut  a  lot 
of  it  and  put  it  in  the  ring.  You  shan't  break  any 
bones  if  I  can  help  it." 

"Pootoo  is  to  be  master  of  ceremonies  in  every  sense 
of  the  word,  I  can  see.  I  am  the  ward  of  a  king." 

At  last  the  day  arrived. 

They  were  to  enter  the  ceremonial  temple  at  high 
noon  and  in  their  ears  were  to  be  the  sound  of  timbrels 
and  brass,  trumpets  and  drums  and  the  glad  though 
raucous  songs  of  a  kingdom. 

Early  in  the  day  Tennys  Huntingford  submitted 
herself  to  be  arrayed  for  the  ceremony  by  her  proud, 
jealous  maidens.  She  remained  alone  and  obscure  in 
her  chamber,  awaiting  the  moment  when  King  Poo 
too  should  come  for  her.  Her  gown  was  of  the  purest 
white.  It  was  her  own  handiwork,  the  loving  labor  of 
months.  True,  it  would  have  looked  odd  in  St.  James 
or  in  the  cathedral,  but  no  bride  ever  walked  to  those 
chancels  in  more  becoming  raiment — no  bride  was  ever 
more  beautiful,  no  woman  ever  more  to  be  coveted. 


316  NEDRA 

Her  heart  was  singing  with  love  and  joy;  the  dreams 
of  months  were  coming  true  in  these  strangely  wakeful 
hours. 

Ridgeway  wandered  nervously  through  the  village, 
watching  the  sun  as  it  crept  nearer  and  nearer  to  the 
middle  of  its  daily  reign — would  the  minutes  never 
end?  Why  had  the  sun  stopped  in  its  course  across 
the  sky?  Why  was  time  so  tantalizing? 

At  last!  The  sudden  clangor  of  weird  instruments 
filled  his  ears.  He  held  his  hand  to  his  throbbing 
heart  as  he  turned  his  gaze  toward  the  door  through 
which  she  was  to  come. 

Inside  the  great  temple  the  people  of  Nedra  were 
singing  and  chanting  with  anticipant  joy;  outside  the 
world  was  smiling  benignly.  All  Nedra  gathered 
about  the  circle  of  earth  in  which  Tennys  Hunting- 
ford  was  to  cast  herself  at  the  feet  of  her  husband  and 
lord  for  all  time. 

Hugh  had  not  seen  her  since  the  night  before,  and 
his  eyes  were  starving  for  the  vision.  She  came  forth, 
her  white  hand  in  the  great  broad  palm  of  King  Poo- 
too,  and  she  smiled  gloriously  upon  the  man  who  stood 
below  and  waited  for  her  to  come  to  him.  Together 
they  were  to  approach  the  circle.  The  priests  were 
there  to  receive  them — Hugh  first  and  then  his  bride ; 
the  people  were  shouting,  the  instruments  were  jang 
ling  with  a  fiercer  fervor,  the  sun  was  passing  across 
the  line  with  his  fairest  smile  and  wedding  bells  were 
ringing  in  two  red,  full  hearts. 

But  even  as  she  came  up  to  him  and  touched  his  arm, 


THE    WEDDING    RING  317 

outside  the  temple  doors,  the  hand  of  Fate  was  lifted 
and  a  rigid  finger  stayed  them  on  the  verge. 

A  mighty  intonation,  sharp  and  deafening,  came  to 
their  ears  like  a  clap  of  thunder  from  a  clear  sky ! 

Paralysis,  stupefaction,  fell  upon  the  multitude. 
There  was  a  silence  as  of  death.  Every  sound  ceased, 
every  heart  stood  still  and  every  sense  was  numb.  It 
seemed  an  hour  before  Hugh  Ridgeway's  stiff  lips 
muttered : 

"A  gun !    A  ship's  gun !" 


CHAPTER  XXXII 
THE  CRUISER  "WINNETKA" 

A  MOMENT  later  pandemonium  broke  loose.  The  cere 
mony  was  forgotten  in  the  panic  that  seized  the  startled 
savages.  There  was  a  rush,  a  stampede  of  terror  and 
the  great  temple  was  emptied  as  if  by  magic.  Hugh 
and  his  fair  companion  stood  alone  in  the  little  plain, 
staring  at  the  distant  gateposts,  over  which  a  faint 
cloud  of  smoke  was  lifting,  coming  up  from  the  sea 
beyond.  The  terrified  savages  had  fled  to  their  homes 
in  wildest  alarm. 

Minutes  passed  before  Hugh  could  speak  again. 
Power  of  comprehension  seemed  to  have  left 
them.  They  were  looking  dumbly  into  each  other's 
eyes. 

"It  was  a  gun — a  big  gun.     Our  flag." 

Without  knowing  what  they  did  the  two  started 
across  the  plain,  their  eyes  glued  to  the  great  rocks 
that  screened  the  mystery. 

"Can  it  be  the  Oolooz  men?"  she  asked. 

"The  whole  Oolooz  army,  dead  or  alive,  couldn't 
have  made  a  noise  like  that.  It  might  have  been  a 
volcano  breaking  through  the  rocks." 

"Then  we  must  not  venture  down  there,"  she  cried, 
holding  back.  He  threw  his  big  right  arm  around  her 


THE    CRUISER    "WINNETKA"     319 

waist  and  broke  into  a  brisk  run,  taking  her  along  re- 
sistlessly. 

Together  they  walked  and  ran  across  the  plain  and 
through  the  pass  which  led  to  the  sea.  Far  behind 
straggled  a  few  of  the  villagers,  emboldened  by  curi 
osity. 

"The  rocks  seem  to  be  all  right,"  he  said,  as  if  a  pet 
theory  had  been  destroyed. 

By  this  time  they  had  passed  over  the  rocks  and  were 
upon  the  sand.  Simultaneously  they  turned  their 
eyes  toward  the  sea,  and  the  sight  that  burst  upon 
them  fairly  took  the  breath  from  their  lungs,  leaving 
them  so  weak  that  they  staggered.  A  mile  or  so  out 
at  sea  lay  a  huge  ship,  white  hulled  and  formidable. 
There  were  gun  turrets  above  deck  and  a  swarm  of 
men  on  board. 

Hugh's  eyes  seemed  to  turn  round  and  round  in  his 
head,  his  legs  began  to  tremble  and  his  palsied  lips 
parted  helplessly,  as  he  pointed  to  the  colors  she  flew. 
The  American  flag  fluttered  from  the  mizzen-mast  of 
the  great  vessel! 

Almost  crazed  by  the  sight,  the  castaways,  overcom 
ing  their  stupefaction,  forgetting  all  that  had  gone  be 
fore,  danced  frantically  on  the  sand  hill,  their  ecstasy 
knowing  no  bounds. 

"Will  they  see  us?"  she  sobbed,  falling  at  last  to  the 
ground  in  sheer  exhaustion,  digging  her  fingers  fever 
ishly,  unconsciously  into  the  sand. 

"Yes,  yes!  They  must  see  us!  We  are  saved! 
Saved!"  he  yelled  hoarsely.  Then  he  threw  himself 


320  NEDRA 

beside  her,  and  they  were  clasped  in  each  other's  arms, 
crying  like  children.  Afterward  they  could  remember 
only  that  they  saw  a  boat  lowered  from  the  ship.  It 
came  toward  them,  a  white  uniformed  officer  standing 
in  the  bow.  As  the  boat  drew  near  Tennys  began  to 
regain  her  equanimity.  She  withdrew  hastily  from 
Hugh's  arms  and  arose.  With  streaming  eyes  she 
waved  her  hands  in  response  to  the  faraway  salute  of 
the  officer.  Hugh,  not  so  easily  restrained,  jumped  to 
his  feet  and  shouted: 

"Hurrah !  Hurrah !  God  bless  you !  American 
sailors !  Angels  of  heaven,  every  one  of  you !  Hur 
rah  !" 

Holding  their  hands  to  their  temples,  the  castaways 
finally  calmed  themselves  enough  to  look  rationally  at 
each  other.  Their  minds  began  to  regain  order,  their 
nerves  were  quieted,  their  hearts  forgot  the  tumult, 
and  they  could  think  and  talk  and  reason  again. 
In  the  fierce  ecstasy  of  seeing  the  long-looked- 
for  rescuers,  they  had  forgotten  their  expressed 
desire  to  live  always  on  the  island.  Human 
nature  had  overcome  sentiment  and  they  rejoiced 
in  what  they  had  regarded  as  a  calamity  an 
hour  before.  Now  they  realized  that  a  crisis  had 
come. 

"Hugh,  will  they  take  us  away?"  she  cried,  real 
anguish  mingling  with  triumphant  joy. 

"Shall  we  go  or  stay?"  cried  he,  torn  by  two  emo 
tions. 

"It  may  be  the  end  of  our  happiness,"  she  whispered, 


THE    CRUISER    "WINNETKA"     321 

pale  as  death.  "I  will  stay  here  forever,  Hugh,  if  you 
like." 

"Do  you  want  to  go?" 

"I  want  to  go  and  I  want  to  stay.  What  shall  we 
do?" 

"Go!  We  shall  be  happy.  Nothing  shall  part  us, 
darling." 

"But  Grace?  What  if  she  is  alive?"  she  asked  faintly. 

"God  grant  she  is.  I'll  throw  myself  at  her  feet  and 
she  shall  be  made  to  understand,"  he  said,  but  a  name 
less  chill  crossed  him. 

"You  would  break  her  heart,"  moaned  she.  "Our 
poor,  poor  wedding  day." 

"There  will  be  another  glad  and  joyous  day,"  he 
said,  trying  to  find  heart. 

"I  will  go  where  you  go,  Hugh,"  she  said. 

A  few  long  sweeps  of  the  oars  and  the  white  boat, 
with  its  blue  trimmings,  shot  upon  the  beach,  and  the 
officer  leaped  forward  to  meet  the  waiting  pair. 

"I  am  Ensign  Carruthers,  United  States  cruiser 
Winnetka,  Captain  Hildebrand  commanding.  We 
saw  your  flag  and  were  considerably  mystified,"  he  said, 
doffing  his  cap  to  her  Ladyship.  But  Ridgeway,  for 
getting  politeness,  dignity  and  reserve,  rushed  up  and 
grabbed  him  by  the  hand,  mad  with  the  exuberance  of 


"Saved!    Saved!    Saved!" 

Carruthers,  dumbfounded,  looked  from  one  to  the 
other  of  the  now  frantic  couple.  He  saw  white  people 
dressed  in  most  unusual  garments,  the  woman  possess- 


NEDRA 

ing  a  gloriously  beautiful  face  and  the  air  of  royalty, 
the  man  bushy  haired  and  stalwart,  every  inch  a  gen 
tleman  and  an  American. 

"What  does  this  mean?"  he  demanded. 

"You  are  the  first  white  man  we  have  seen  in  more 
than  a  year,"  cried  Hugh. 

"We  have  seen  none  but  savages,"  added  she,  tears  of 
happiness  starting  afresh  down  her  cheeks. 

"You  were  wrecked?"  exclaimed  the  sailor, 
appalled. 

It  was  an  incoherent  recital  that  the  two  poured  into 
his  ears,  first  one,  then  the  other  talking  excitedly,  but 
it  was  not  long  before  he  was  in  possession  of  all  the 
facts. 

"You  were  on  the  Tempest  Queen,"  he  cried,  doubt 
ing  his  ears. 

"Was  no  one  saved?"  they  cried  breathlessly. 

"The  captain  and  five  or  six  passengers,  I  think,  were 
picked  up,  almost  starved,  in  a  boat,  some  days  after 
the  wreck.  All  others  were  lost." 

"Who  were  the  passengers?"  asked  Hugh,  trembling 
with  eagerness. 

"I  don't  recall  the  names." 

"Was  there  a  Miss  Ridge  among  them?" 

"Was  Lord  Huntingford  saved?" 

"I  can't  say  as  to  the  lady,  but  I  know  that  Lord 
Huntingford  was  lost.  I  remember  the  papers  were 
full  of  headlines  about  him  and  his  young  wife.  His 
dead  body  was  picked  up  by  a  steamer.  She  was  not 
found." 


THE    CRUISER    "WINNETKA"     323 

"She  has  just  been  found,"  said  Hugh.     "This  is 
Lady  Huntingford." 


The  Winnetka  was  on  a  three  years'  cruise.  Her  en 
gines  had  broken  down  a  few  days  before,  during  a 
storm,  and  she  was  carried  out  of  her  course.  The  ma 
chinery  being  repaired,  she  was  now  picking  her  way 
toward  Manila.  The  sailors  were  sent  back  to  the  war 
ship,  with  information  for  the  commander,  and  Car- 
ruthers  accompanied  the  joyous  couple  to  the  village. 
The  natives  had  seen  the  ship  and  the  white  men,  and 
there  was  intense  excitement  among  them. 

Then  came  the  struggle  for  Hugh  and  Tennys  Hunt 
ingford.  For  an  hour  they  wavered  and  then  the  die 
was  cast.  Back  to  the  old  world ! 

When  it  became  known  that  the  Izors  who  had  done 
so  much  for  them  were  to  leave  the  island  on  the  big, 
strange  thing  of  the  deep,  the  greatest  consternation 
and  grief  ensued.  Chattering  disconsolately,  the  whole 
village  accompanied  the  belongings  of  the  Izors  to  the 
beach.  Lady  Tennys  and  Ridgeway  went  among  their 
savage  friends  with  the  promise  to  return  some  day, 
a  promise  which  they  meant  to  fulfil. 

"I'll  have  missionaries  out  here  in  a  month,"  vowed 
Hugh,  biting  his  lips  and  trying  to  speak  calmly 
through  the  grip  that  was  choking  him  involuntarily. 

King  Pootoo,  the  picture  of  despair,  stood  knee-deep 
in  the  water.  As  the  sailors  pushed  off,  he  threw  up 
his  hands  and  wailed  aloud ;  and  then  the  whole  tribe 


324  NEDRA 

behind  him  fell  grovelling  in  the  sand.  Two  white- 
robed  figures  flung  themselves  in  the  water  and  grasped 
the  gunwales  as  the  boat  moved  away.  The  sailors 
tried  to  drive  them  off,  but  they  screamed  and  turned 
their  pleading  faces  toward  their  mistress. 

"Please  take  them  in,"  she  cried,  and  strong  arms 
drew  the  dusky  women  into  the  boat.  They  were  Al- 
zam  and  Nattoo,  the  devoted  hand-maidens  of  the 
beautiful  Izor.  Trembling  and  in  fear  of  dire  pun 
ishment  for  their  audacity,  they  sank  to  the  bottom  of 
the  boat.  Nor  did  they  cease  their  moaning  until  they 
were  on  the  broad  deck  of  the  Winnetka,  where  aston 
ishment  overcame  fear. 

Slowly  the  boat  moved  away  from  the  island  of 
Nedra,  just  one  year  after  its  new  passengers  had  set 
foot  on  its  shores.  High  upon  the  top  of  the  tall  gate 
post  fluttered  the  frayed  remnants  of  an  American 
flag.  The  captain  pointed  toward  it,  removed  his  cap 
proudly,  and  then  there  arose  a  mighty  cheer  from  the 
men  on  board  the  man  o'  war. 


CHAPTER  XXXIII 
APPARITIONS 

THE  Wvrmeika  passed  Corregidor  Island  and  dropped 
anchor  in  Manila  harbor  on  the  morning  of  June  1st. 
On  the  forward  deck  stood  Hugh  Ridgeway  and 
Tennys  Huntingford.  They  went  ashore  with  Cap 
tain  Hildebrand,  Ensign  Carruthers,  the  paymaster 
and  several  others.  Another  launch  landed  their  non 
descript  luggage — their  wedding  possessions — and  the 
faithful  handmaidens.  The  captain  and  his  pas 
sengers  went  at  once  to  shipping  quarters,  where  the 
man  in  charge  was  asked  if  he  could  produce  a  list  of 
those  on  board  the  Tempest  Queen  at  the  time  she  went 
down. 

"I  have  a  list  of  those  who  left  Aden  and  of  those  who 
were  rescued.  Did  you  have  friends  on  board?" 

"Yes,  we  had  friends,"  answered  Hugh,  in  a  choking 
voice.  "First,  let  me  see  a  list  of  the  lost."  The  clerk 
found  the  book  containing  the  list,  alphabetically  ar 
ranged,  and  placed  it  on  the  desk  before  the  trembling 
man  and  woman.  Both  had  an  insane  desire  to  rush 
from  the  office  and  back  to  the  Winneika,  where  they 
could  hide  from  the  very  knowledge  they  were  seeking. 
In  their  hearts  they  were  wishing  for  the  solitude  and 
happiness  of  the  Island  of  Nedra.  The  clerk,  observ- 


326  NEDRA 

ing  their  anxiety,  considerately  offered  to  read  the 
names  to  them. 

"No,  I  thank  you;  I'll  look,"  said  Hugh,  resolutely 
turning  to  the  pages.  Lady  Tennys  leaned  weakly 
against  the  counter  and  looked  through  blurred  eyes 
at  the  racing  lines  of  ink.  Hugh  rapidly  ran  his 
fingers  through  the  list,  passing  dozens  of  passengers 
they  had  known.  As  the  finger  approached  the  "R's" 
it  moved  more  slowly,  more  tremblingly.  "Reed — 
Reyer — Ridge!"  "Hugh  Ridge,  Chicago,  Illinois, 
U.  S.  A."  He  grew  sick  when  he  saw  his  own  name 
among  those  who  were  dead. 

"She  was  saved,"  he  murmured,  for  there  was  but 
one  Ridge  there. 

"Look  for  Vernon,"  whispered  his  companion. 

"Van  Camp — Valentine — Wilson."  It  was  not  there 
— nor  was  Veath's  ! 

"Are  they  on  the  list?"  asked  the  clerk. 

"Let  me  see  the  names  of  those  who  were  saved,"  said 
Hugh  bravely,  joy  and  anxiety  welling  to  the  surface 
like  twin  bubbles. 

"Two  pages  over,  sir." 

Over  went  the  pages  so  ruthlessly  that  the  scribe  was 
in  trepidation  lest  they  should  be  crumpled  beyond 
redemption.  Hugh  read  aloud  in  an  unnatural 
voice : 

"Costello— Hamilton— Ridge— Shadburn— Veath." 

His  hand  fell  upon  the  page  and  his  head  dropped 
forward  till  his  lips  touched  the  name  that  danced  be 
fore  his  eyes. 


APPARITIONS  327 

"Here  it  is!  Here  it  is!"  he  shouted,  hugging  the 
book. 

"Thank  God!"  cried  she,  tears  rushing  to  her  eyes. 
Together  they  read  and  re-read  the  name,  scarcely 
able  to  believe  that  she  was  truly  one  of  the  few  to 
escape.  "And  Henry  Veath,  too.  Oh,  Hugh,  it  is  a 
miracle — a  real  miracle !" 

"Old  Veath  saved  her !  I  knew  he  would  if  he  had  a 
ghost  of  a  chance.  Tennys,  Tennys,  I  can't  believe 
it  is  true."  He  was  beside  himself  in  his  excitement. 
Captain  Hildebrand,  the  clerk,  and  the  other  attaches 
looked  on  with  happy  smiles.  In  this  moment  of  re 
lief  they  forgot  completely  that,  in  leaving  the  island, 
they  had  been  filled  with  a  sort  of  dread  lest  they 
should  find  her  who  might  come  between  them. 

"We  must  find  Veath,"  went  on  Hugh  rapidly.  "Is 
he  in  Manila?" 

"He  is  in  the  Government  Building,  sir,"  answered 
the  clerk.  Already  Hugh  was  edging  toward  the  door, 
holding  Lady  Tennys  by  the  arm.  "Is  Mr.  Veath  a 
relative?" 

"No ;  he's  more  than  that.  He's  a  friend.  We  were 
on  the  Tempest  Queen  together  when  she  went 
down." 

"You  were — on — the — what  did  you  say,  sir?" 
gasped  the  clerk. 

"He  doesn't  know  who  we  are,  Hugh." 

"That's  so.  Add  two  more  names  to  the  list  of  saved 
and  scratch  'em  off  the  other.  Put  down  Lady  Hunt- 
ingford  and  Hugh  Ridge." 


328  NEDRA 

The  clerk's  eyes  bulged.  Every  man  in  the  office 
came  forward  in  amazement. 

"It's  the  truth,"  volunteered  the  Winnetka's  captain. 
"I  picked  them  up  last  week." 

"Where's  the  cable  office?  I  must  send  a  message  to 
Miss  Ridge.  When  did  she  sail  for  the  United 
States?" 

"She  hasn't  sailed,  sir.  Her  name  is  Vernon,  and 
she's  been  waiting  in  Manila  for  news  of  you  ever  since. 
Get  some  water  there,  Cleary !  He's  going  to  faint." 
Ridgeway  collapsed  against  the  counter,  his  face  go 
ing  deadly  pale.  Lady  Tennys  sank  into  her  chair, 
huddling  limply  as  if  to  withstand  a  shock,  while  from 
her  stricken  face  two  wide  blue  eyes  centred  themselves 
hopelessly  on  her  lover. 

"Needn't  mind  the  water.  I'm  all  right,"  stammered 
Hugh,  moving  away  with  legs  as  stiff  as  rods.  "Where 
is  she  now  ?" 

"At  the  home  of  her  uncle,  Mr.  Coleman.  There 
were  seven  of  them  saved,  after  being  buffeted  about 
by  the  sea  for  three  days  in  the  boat  in  which  they  left 
the  wreck.  When  they  were  picked  up  by  the  Sea 
Gull,  they  were  almost  dead  with  hunger,  thirst  and 
madness.  It  seems  Miss  Vernon  had  written  her  uncle 
before  sailing;  and  the  letter,  coming  by  way  of  San 
Francisco,  got  here  two  or  three  weeks  before  she  was 
expected.  Afterward,  Mr.  Coleman  got  the  govern 
ment  to  send  ships  out  to  find  the  wreck.  It  was  many 
weeks  before  Miss  Vernon  was  fully  recovered." 

"Thank  you,"  muttered  he.     "Come,  Lady  Hunting- 


APPARITIONS  329 

ford,  we  will  go  to  a  hotel."  She  arose  and  silently 
followed  him  to  the  door.  The  men  in  the  office  glanced 
at  each  other,  completely  mystified,  Captain  Hilde- 
brand  as  much  so  as  any  one. 

For  a  long  time  the  occupants  of  a  certain  carriage 
looked  straight  before  them  as  if  bereft  of  the  power 
of  speech  or  comprehension.  A  great  abyss  of  thought 
confronted  them ;  they  were  apparently  struggling  on 
the  edge,  utterly  unable  to  grasp  a  single  inspiration 
or  idea. 

"She's  been  waiting  a  year,  Tennys.  Do  you  know 
what  that  means?" 

"Yes,  Hugh ;  I  know  too  well.  She  has  prayed  and 
hoped  and  loved,  and  now  you  are  come  to  her.  It 
means  that  she  will  be  happy — oh,  so  happy!"  mur 
mured  his  white-lipped  companion,  cold  as  ice. 

"But  I  can't  go  to  her  and  tell  her  what  we  know.  It 
would  kill  her.  I  can't  go  to  her — it  is  impossible! 
I'd  die  if  she  looked  at  me,"  he  groaned. 

"You  must  go  to  her,"  she  said  intensely.  "She  will 
know  you  have  been  rescued.  She  will  thank  God  and 
wait  for  you  to  come  to  her.  Think  of  that  poor  girl 
waiting,  waiting,  waiting  for  you,  filled  with  a  joy 
that  we  can  never  know.  Oh,  I  will  not  have  you  break 
her  heart.  You  shall  go  to  her!" 

"I  cannot,  I  tell  you !  I  cannot  tell  her  that  I  love 
you!  That  would  be  worse  than  any  cruelty  I  can 
imagine." 

"You  are  not  to  tell  her  that  you  love  me.  I  release 
you,  Hugh.  You  were,  hers  first ;  you  are  hers  now.  I 


330  NEDRA 

would  kill  myself  rather  than  take  you  from  her.  Go 
to  her — go  to  her  at  once.  You  must !"  She  was 
nervous,  half-crazed,  yet  true  nobility  shone  above  all 
like  a  gem  of  purest  ray. 

"Don't  force  me  to  go,  Tennys,"  he  pleaded,  as  she 
left  him  to  go  to  her  room. 

"Go  now,  Hugh — go  if  you  love  me,"  she  said,  turn 
ing  her  miserable  face  from  him. 

"But  what  is  to  become  of  you — of  me?"  he  pro 
tested. 

"We  must  think  only  of  her.  Go !  and  bring  her  to 
see  me  here !  I  want  to  tell  her  how  happy  I  am  that 
she  has  found  you  again ;"  and  then  she  was  gone. 

The  dominant  impulse  was  to  rush  after  her,  grasp 
her  and  carry  her  back  to  the  waves  from  which  he 
had  unwittingly  saved  her.  Then  the  strong  influence 
that  she  had  exerted  over  him,  together  with  the  spark 
of  fair-mindedness  that  remained,  forced  him  to  obey 
the  dictates  of  honor.  He  slowly,  determinedly,  de 
jectedly  re-entered  the  carriage  and  started  toward 
the  end. 


CHAPTER  XXXIV 
THE  COURSE  OF  TRUE  LOVE 

RIDGEWAY  had  been  directed  to  the  home  of  Mr.  Henry 
Coleman.  He  was  never  able  to  describe  his  emotions 
as  he  drove  through  the  streets  toward  that  most  im 
portant  place  in  all  the  world  at  that  hour.  The  cab 
drew  up  in  front  of  the  rather  pretentious  home  and 
he  stepped  forth,  dazed  and  uncertain,  his  knees  stiff, 
his  eyes  set.  Had  some  one  shouted  "Run !"  he  would 
have  fled  with  his  resolution. 

Every  window  in  the  home  seemed  to  present  Grace 
Vernon's  glad  face  to  his  misty  eyes ;  she  was  in  there 
somewhere,  he  knew,  waiting  as  she  had  been  waiting 
for  a  whole  year. 

Slowly  he  mounted  the  steps  and  stood  before  the 
screen  door.  After  what  semed  an  hour  of  delibera 
tion,  during  which  he  sought  to  resurrect  the  courage 
that  had  died,  he  timidly  tapped  on  the  casement  with 
his  knuckles.  The  sound  could  not  have  been  heard 
ten  feet,  yet  to  him  it  was  loud  enough  to  wake  people 
blocks  away.  There  was  no  response  and  his  heart,  in 
its  cowardice,  took  a  hopeful  bound.  No  one  at  home ! 
He  turned  to  leave  the  place,  fearing  that  some  one 
might  appear  to  admit  him  before  he  could  retreat. 
At  the  top  of  the  steps  he  paused,  reasoning  that  if 


332  NEDRA 

no  one  was  at  home  he  could  at  least  rap  again.  His 
conscience  would  be  easier  for  the  extra  effort.  He 
rapped  once  more,  quite  boldly.  A  man  appeared  in 
the  doorway  so  suddenly  that  he  caught  his  breath 
and  put  out  his  hand  to  steady  himself. 

The  screen  flew  open  and  Henry  Veath  grasped  him 
by  the  arms,  fairly  dragging  him  into  the  hallway. 

"Hugh!  Hugh!  Is  it  really  you?"  For  a  moment 
he  stood  like  one  suddenly  gone  mad. 

"Henry,  I  can't  believe  it !"  gasped  Ridgeway.  Both 
of  them  stood  looking  at  one  another  for  more  than 
a  full  minute.  "What  a  wonderful  escape !"  fell  hazily 
from  the  newcomer's  stiff  lips. 

"How  did  you  escape?"  cried  the  other  in  the  same 
breath.  Pale  as  ghosts  they  wrung  each  other's  hands 
spasmodically,  dazed  and  bewildered. 

"Where  is  Grace?"  demanded  Hugh. 

"She  is  out  just  at  present,"  said  the  other  slowly 
and  with  an  effort.  "Come  in  and  sit  down.  She 
will  be  here  presently."  He  staggered  as  he  drew 
back. 

"Has — has  my  sister  given  up  all  hope  of  ever  seeing 
me  again?"  said  Ridgeway.  Their  hands  were  still 
clasped. 

"Miss  Vernon  feared  that  you  were  lost,  Hugh,"  said 
Veath.  A  cold  perspiration  was  showing  itself  on  his 
brow.  "She  has  told  me  all.  How  ill  and  white  you 
look.  Sit  down  here  and  I'll  get  you  some  wine." 

"Never  mind,  old  man.  I'm  well  enough.  When 
will  she  return?  Great  heaven,  man,  I  can't  wait!" 


THE    COURSE    OF    TRUE    LOVE    333 

He  sank  limply  into  a  chair.  His  companion's  heart 
was  freezing. 

"Be  calm,  old  friend.     She  shall  be  sent  for  at  once." 

"Break  it  to  her  gently,  Veath,  break  it  to  her 
gently,"  murmured  Hugh. 

Veath  excused  himself  and  left  the  room.  In  the  hall, 
out  of  Hugh's  sight,  he  stopped,  clenched  his  hands, 
closed  his  eyes  and  shivered  as  if  his  blood  had  turned 
to  ice.  Presently  he  returned  to  the  room,  having  gone 
no  farther  than  the  hall. 

"I  have  sent  for  her,"  he  said  in  a  strange  voice. 

Grace  was  coming  down  stairs  when  Veath  admitted 
Hugh.  Startled  and  almost  completely  prostrated, 
she  fell  back,  where  Veath  found  her  when  he  went  to 
announce  the  news.  Finally,  with  throbbing  heart, 
she  crept  to  the  curtain  that  hung  in  the  door  between 
the  parlors  and  peered  through  at  the  two  men.  Ridge- 
way  was  standing  in  the  centre  of  the  room,  nervously 
handling  a  book  that  lay  on  the  table.  His  face  was 
white  and  haggard;  his  tall,  straight  figure  was 
stooped  and  lifeless.  Veath  stood  on  the  opposite 
side  of  the  table,  just  as  pale  and  just  as  discom 
posed. 

"Does  she  often  speak  of  me?"  she  heard  Hugh  ask 
hoarsely.  The  other  did  not  answer  at  once. 

"Frequently,  Hugh,  of  course,"  he  said  finally. 

"And — do — you — think  she — she  loves  me  as  much 
as  ever  ?"  There  was  fear  in  his  voice :  but  poor  Grace 
could  only  distinguish  pathetic  eagerness.  Veath  was 
silent,  his  hands  clasped  behind  his  back,  his  throat 


334  NEDRA 

closed  as  by  a  vise.  "Why  don't  you  answer?  Does 
she  still  love  me?" 

Grace  glanced  at  the  drawn  face  of  Henry  Veath  and 
saw  there  the  struggle  that  was  going  on  in  his  mind. 
With  a  cry  she  tore  aside  the  curtains  and  rushed  into 
the  room,  confronting  the  questioner  and  the  ques 
tioned. 

"Grace !"  gasped  the  former,  staggering  back  as  if 
from  the  effect  of  a  mighty  blow.  Through  his  dizzy 
brain  an  instant  later  shot  the  necessity  for  action  of 
some  kind.  There  stood  Grace,  swaying  before  him, 
ready  to  fall.  She  loved  him !  He  must  clasp  her  to 
his  heart  as  if  he  loved  her.  This  feeble  impulse  forced 
him  forward,  his  arms  extended.  "Don't  be  afraid, 
dear.  I  am  not  a  ghost !" 

Veath  dropped  into  a  chair  near  the  window,  and 
closed  his  eyes,  his  ears,  his  heart. 

"Oh,  Hugh,  Hugh,"  the  girl  moaned,  putting  her 
hands  over  her  face,  even  as  he  clasped  her  awkwardly, 
half-heartedly  in  his  arms.  He  was  saying  distresscdly 
to  himself :  "She  loves  me  !  I  cannot  break  her  heart !" 

Neither  moved  for  a  full  minute,  and  then 
Hugh  drew  her  hands  from  her  eyes,  his  heart  full  of 
pity. 

"Grace,  look  at  me,"  he  said.    "Are  you  happy  ?" 

Their  eyes  met  and  there  was  no  immediate  answer. 
What  each  saw  in  the  eyes  of  the  other  was  strange  and 
puzzling.  She  saw  something  like  hopeless  dread, 
struggling  to  suppress  itself  beneath  a  glassy  film  ;  he 
saw  pitiful  fear,  sorrow,  shame,  everything  but.  the 


THE    COURSE    OF    TRUE    LOVE    335 

glad  lovelight  he  had  expected.  If  their  hearts  had 
been  cold  before,  they  were  freezing  now. 

"Happy?"  she  managed  to  articulate.     "Happy?" 

"Yes,  happy,"  he  repeated  as  witlessly. 

"Don't  look  at  me,  Hugh.  Don't !  I  cannot  bear 
it,"  she  wailed  frantically,  again  placing  her  hands 
over  her  eyes.  His  arms  dropped  from  their  unwilling 
position  and  he  gasped  in  amazement. 

"What  is  it,  Grace?  What  is  the  matter?  What  is 
it,  Veath?"  he  gasped.  She  sank  to  her  knees  on  the 
floor  and  sobbed. 

"Oh,  Hugh !  I  am  not  worthy  to  be  loved  by  you." 
He  tried  to  lift  her  to  her  feet,  absolutely  dumb  with 
amazement.  "Don't !  Don't !  Let  me  lie  here  till  you 
are  gone.  I  can't  bear  to  have  you  see  my  face  again. 

"Grace !"  he  cried  blankly. 

"Oh,  if  I  had  been  drowned  this  could  have 
been  avoided.  Why  don't  you  say  something, 
Henry?  I  cannot  tell  him."  Veath  could  only  shake 
his  head  in  response  to  Ridgeway's  look  of  amazed 
inquiry. 

"Is  she  mad?"  groaned  the  returned  lover. 

"Mad?  No,  I  am  not  mad,"  she  cried  shrilly,  desper 
ately.  "Hugh,  I  know  I  will  break  your  heart,  but 
I  must  tell  you.  I  cannot  deceive  you.  I  cannot  be  as 
I  once  was  to  you." 

"Cannot  be — deceived  me — once  was — "  murmured 
he,  bewildered. 

"While  I  mourned  for  you  as  dead  I  learned  to  love 
another.  Forgive  me,  forgive  me !"  It  was  more  than 


336  NEDRA 

a  minute  before  he  could  grasp  the  full  extent  of  her 
confession  and  he  could  not  believe  his  ears. 

Gradually  his  mind  emerged  from  its  oblivion  and 
the  joy  that  rushed  to  his  heart  passed  into  every  vein 
in  his  body.  At  his  feet  the  unhappy  girl;  at 
the  window  the  rigid  form  of  the  man  to  whom  he 
knew  her  love  had  turned;  in  the  centre  of  this  tab 
leau  he  stood,  his  head  erect,  his  lungs  full,  his  face 
aglow. 

"Say  you  will  forgive  me,  Hugh.  You  would  not 
want  me,  knowing  what  you  do." 

"For  Heaven's  sake,  Hugh,"  began  Veath;  but  the 
words  choked  him. 

"So  you  love  another,"  said  Hugh  slowly,  and 
cleverly  concealing  his  elation  at  the  unexpected 
change  in  the  situation.  He  was  not  without  a  sense  of 
humor,  and  forgetting,  for  the  moment,  the  serious 
ness  of  her  revelation,  he  could  not  resist  the  tempta 
tion  to  play  the  martyr. 

"My  dear  girl,"  he  went  on  with  mock  gravity,  "I 
would  sacrifice  my  life  to  see  you  happy !  Whoever 
he  may  be,  I  give  you  to  him.  Be  happy,  Grace ;"  and 
with  decided  histrionic  ability  concluded  heart- 
brokenly  :  "Forget  Hugh  Ridgeway !" 

A  portrait  of  a  buxom  lady  hanging  on  the  wall  re 
ceived  the  full  benefit  of  his  dejected  glance;  and  she 
could  have  told  the  unhappy  lovers  that  the  wretched 
man  had  winked  at  her  most  audaciously. 

"When  are  you  to  be  married?"  he  resumed  solemnly. 

"To-night,"   she   choked   out,   then    added   quickly: 


THE    COURSE    OF    TRUE    LOVE    337 

"But  I  won't,  Hugh — I  won't  marry  him  if  you 
say " 

"Not  for  the  world!  You  must  marry  him,  Grace, 
and  I'll  bless  you,"  he  interrupted  quickly,  even 
eagerly.  Then  there  came  a  new  thought:  "Tell 
me  truly,  do  you  love  him  better  than  you  loved 
me?" 

"I  love  him  better  than  the  world !" 

"Thank  God!"  exclaimed  the  discarded  lover  de 
voutly.  "Give  me  your  hand,  Henry,  old  man — there 
is  no  one  in  all  the  world  whom  I'd  rather  see  get  her 
than  you.  You  saved  her  and  you  deserve  her.  Take 
her  and  be  good  to  her,  that's  all  I  ask ;  and  think  of 
me  once  in  a  while,  won't  you?  Good-by." 

Without  waiting  for  an  answer  he  broke  away,  as  if 
starting  for  the  hall. 

"Please  don't  go  away  like  that!" 

The  cry  of  anguish  came  from  Grace,  and  she  threw 
herself  sobbing  on  Veath's  breast. 

Hugh  turned  like  a  flash.  Contrition  and  the  cer 
tainty  of  his  power  to  dispel  her  grief  showed  plainly 
in  his  face. 

"Don't  cry,  Grace  dear,"  he  begged,  going  over  to 
them.  "I  was  only  fooling,  dear.  I'm  not  a  bit  un 
happy."  Grace  looked  up  wonderingly  at  him 
through  her  tears.  "You  must  take  me  for  a  brute," 
he  stumbled  on  penitently.  "You  see — you  see — er — 
the  fact  is,  I'm  in  love  myself."  He  did  not  know  he 
could  be  so  embarrassed.  Veath  actually  staggered, 
and  the  girl's  tear-stained  face  and  blinking  eyes  were 


338  NEDRA 

suddenly  lifted  from  the  broad  breast,  to  be  turned, 
in  mute  surprise,  upon  the  speaker. 

"What  did  you  say?"  she  gasped. 

"I'm  in  love — the  very  worst  way,"  he  hurried  on, 
fingering  his  cap. 

"And  not  with  me?"  she  cried,  as  if  it  were  beyond  be 
lief. 

"Well,  you  see,  I — I  thought  you  were  drowned — 
couldn't  blame  me  for  that,  could  you?  So — I — she 
was  awfully  good  and  sweet  and — by  George !  I'd  like 
to  know  how  a  fellow  could  help  it!  You  don't  know 
how  happy  I  am  that  you  are  in  love  with  Veath,  and 
you  don't  know  how  happy  it  will  make  her.  We  were 
to  have  been  married  a  week  ago  but—  '  he  gulped 
and  could  not  go  on. 

Grace's  eyes  were  sparkling,  her  voice  was  trembling 
with  joy  as  she  cried,  running  to  his  side: 

"Is  it  really  true — really  true?  Oh,  how  happy  I 
am !  I  was  afraid  you  would 

"And  I  was  equally  afraid  that  you  might — Whoop !" 
exploded  Hugh,  unable  to  restrain  his  riotous  glee  a 
second  longer.  Clasping  her  in  his  arms,  he  kissed  her 
fervently ;  and  all  three  joining  hands,  danced  about 
the  room  like  children,  each  so  full  of  delight  that  there 
was  no  possible  means  of  expressing  it,  except  by  the 
craziest  of  antics. 

"But  who  is  she?"  broke  out  Grace  excitedly,  as  soon 
as  she  could  catch  her  breath. 

"And  where  is  she — can't  we  see  her?"  put  in  Veath, 
slapping  Hugh  insanely  on  the  back. 


THE    COURSE    OF    TRUE    LOVE    339 

"She's  a  goddess !"  burst  out  Hugh,  grabbing  his 
cap  and  running  out  of  the  room,  shouting  hilariously : 
"Follow  on,  both  of  you,  to  the  hotel,  and  see  me 
ship  at  her  shrine!" 


CHAPTER  XXXV 
HISTORY  REPEATS  ITSELF 

HUGH  lost  no  time  on  the  way  back  to  the  hotel.  The 
lazy  driver  awoke  his  lazy  horse  and,  to  the  intense 
amazement  of  both,  the  vehicle  held  together  during 
the  return  trip.  At  least  a  dozen  rattling  bumps  over 
rough  places  in  the  street  caused  the  driver  to  glance 
apprehensively  over  his  shoulder  in  the  unusual  fear 
that  his  fare  and  the  cab  had  parted  company.  For 
the  first  time  in  ten  years  he  was  sufficiently  interested 
to  be  surprised.  It  astonished  him  to  find  that  the 
vehicle  stuck  together  as  a  whole. 

On  the  way  back,  Hugh  suddenly  bethought  himself 
of  his  financial  condition.  He  was  attired  in  a  suit  of 
clothes  belonging  to  Mr.  Carruthers  and  the  garments 
fitted  him  well.  In  one  of  the  pockets  rested  his  small 
leather  purse.  When  he  plunged  into  the  sea  on  that 
memorable  night  a  year  ago  it  contained  a  half  dozen 
small  American  coins  and  some  English  money, 
amounting  in  all  to  eleven  dollars  and  thirty  cents. 
Carefully  he  had  treasured  this  wealth  on  the  island 
and  he  had  come  away  with  the  principal  untouched. 
Now,  as  he  jogged  along  in  the  cab,  he  emptied  the 
contents  of  the  purse  upon  the  seat. 

"Eleven  thirty,"  he  mused.    "A  splendid  dowry.  Not 


HISTORY    REPEATS    ITSELF      341 

enough  to  buy  the  ring.  No  flowers,  no  wine — noth 
ing  but  pins.  My  letter  of  credit  is  at  the  bottom  of 
the  sea.  Borrowed  clothes  on  my  back  and  home-made 
clothes  on  hers.  I  have  a  watch,  a  knife,  and  a  scarf 
pin.  She  has  diamond  rings  and  rubies,  but  she  has 
no  hat.  By  Jove,  it  looks  as  though  I'll  have  to  bor 
row  money  of  Veath,  after  all." 

Lady  Tennys  was  in  her  room,  strangely  calm  and  re 
signed.  She  was  wondering  whether  he  would  ever  come 
back  to  her,  whether  she  was  ever  to  see  him  again. 
Her  tired,  hopeless  brain  was  beginning  to  look  for 
ward  to  the  dismal  future,  the  return  to  England,  the 
desolate  life  in  the  society  she  now  despised,  the  end 
less  regret  of  losing  that  which  she  had  never  hoped  to 
possess — a  man's  love  in  exchange  for  her  own.  She 
kept  to  her  room,  avoiding  the  curious  stare  of  people, 
denying  herself  to  the  reporters  and  correspondents, 
craving  only  the  loneliness  that  made  the  hour  dark 
for  her.  It  seemed  to  her  that  she  had  lived  a  lifetime 
since  he  went  forth  to  find  the  girl  who  had  waited  so 
long  for  him. 

Then  came  the  rush  of  footsteps  in  the  hall. 
They  were  not  those  of  the  slow-moving  servants, 
they  were  not — a  vigorous  thumping  on  the  door 
was  followed  by  the  cry  of  a  strong,  manly,  vigor 
ous  voice.  Her  head  swam,  her  heart  stood  still, 
her  lips  grew  white  and  she  could  utter  no  sound  in 
response. 

He  was  coming  at  last  to  commit  her  to  everlasting 
misery. 


NEDRA 

The  door  flew  open  and  Ridgeway  bounded  into  the 
room.  Before  she  could  move,  he  rushed  over  and  drew 
her  limp  form  from  the  chair,  up  into  his  strong  em 
brace.  She  heard  a  voice,  tender  and  gladsome,  as 
from  afar  off,  singing  into  her  ear. 

"Look  up,  darling !  This  is  to  be  our  wedding  day — 
yours  and  mine !  You  are  mine — mine !" 

The  glad  light  slowly  struggled  back  into  her  eyes, 
but  it  was  as  if  she  had  come  from  a  death-like  swoon. 
He  poured  into  her  dull  ears  the  story  of  the  visit  to 
Grace  Vernon,  but  he  was  compelled  to  repeat  it.  Her 
ears  were  unbelieving. 

"Grace  is  coming  here  with  Henry  Veath,"  he  said  in 
the  end.  "By  Jove,  I  am  happy !" 

She  held  his  face  close  to  hers  and  looked  deep  into 
his  eyes  for  a  long,  long  time. 

"Are  you  sure?"  she  whispered  at  last.  "Is  it  all 
true?" 

"They'll  be  here  in  half  an  hour;  but  I  haven't  told 
them  it  was  you  they  are  going  to  see.  She  loves 
Veath — loves  him  more  than  she  ever  cared  for  me.  I 
don't  blame  her,  do  you?  Veath's  a  man — worthy 
of  any  woman's  love  and  confidence.  Tennys,  do  you 
know  what  I've  been  thinking  ever  since  I  left  them 
fifteen  minutes  ago?  I've  been  calling  myself  a  cad 
— a  downright  cad." 

"And  why,  may  I  ask?" 

"Because  Veath  isn't  one — that's  all." 

"But  you  are  a  man — a  true,  noble,  enduring  one. 
The  year  just  gone  has  changed  you  from  the  easy, 


HISTORY    REPEATS    ITSELF      343 

thoughtless  boy  into  the  strong  man  that  you  are,  just 
as  it  has  made  of  me  a  woman." 

"I  am  no  longer  the  harlequin?"  he  interposed 
eagerly. 

"The  harlequin's  errand  is  accomplished,  dear.  The 
spangles  and  glitter  are  gone.  Pure  gold  has  come  in 
their  stead.  It  won't  wear  out.  God  has  worked  out 
this  end  for  all  of  us.  In  His  own  good  time  He 
rectifies  our  errors  and  points  the  new  way." 

"I  am  but  a  year  older  than  when  I  began." 

"It  isn't  time  that  makes  the  man." 

"It's  opportunity,  after  all.  I  wasn't  a  man  when 
I  dragged  Grace  Vernon  away  from  home;  I  was  a 
fool — a  callow  boy  in " 

"That  was  a  year  ago,  Hugh,  dear.  What  was  I 
two  years  ago?" 

"A  rich  man's  wife.    I  was  a  rich  man's  son." 

"You  were  the  rich  man's  son  by  chance.  I  was  a 
rich  man's  wife  from  choice." 

"History  repeats  itself  with  variations,  dearest. 
Although  I  have  but  eleven  dollars  and  thirty  cents  in 
my  purse,  I  have  a  million  at  home.  You  don't  mind, 
do  you?" 

"I  suppose  it  was  foreordained  that  I  should  always 
marry  from  choice,"  she  said  with  her  most  entranc 
ing  smile. 

THE  END. 


DATE  DUE 


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